Red blood cells produced in laboratories have the potential to revolutionise several medical procedures for sickle cell and thalassemia patients. Scientists have advanced the innovation by conducting the first clinical study after the successful production of the novel type of blood was hailed as a significant advance for medical research. The blood cells were given to research participants as part of a transfusion, and their lifespans and compatibility traits may be better understood as a result.
Reporters were informed by Ashley Toye, director of the NIHR Blood and Transplant Unit in red cell products, that the blood cells were created from donor stem cells and that, if the studies are successful, the transfusion process can begin with patients who need large amounts of blood for their treatments.
‘This difficult and fascinating study is a significant first step toward producing blood from stem cells. We are eager to observe how the cells function at the conclusion of the clinical study as this is the first time lab-grown blood from an allogeneic donor has been transfused ‘,Guardian reported. The amount of blood utilised in these experiments is between 5 and 10 millilitres, and it was guaranteed that the donors had no disorders, according to the experts’ statement.
Cedric Ghevaert, professor in transfusion medicine and consultant haematologist at the University of Cambridge and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), said, ‘If our trial, the first of its kind in the world, is successful, patients who currently require regular long-term blood transfusions will need fewer transfusions in the future, helping transform their care’.
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