Last week a very interesting announcement came from the British National Health Service. The first of its kind lab manufactured blood transplants would be given to two human volunteers in the next two years. By origin, this “synthetic blood” is biological, technically, because it is produced in vitro using stem cells extracted from adult bone marrow or from the umbilical cords of newborn babies. By creating a proper chemical environment in the lab, these stem cells can be led along a pre-decided particular developmental pathway by stimulation. This pathway will in turn lead to fully functional red blood cells.

The idea may sound repulsive and creepy, but it packs a load of advantages. Using this technology, hospitals will be able to do emergency transfusions by stockpiling the stuff in large quantities. It would become possible to design special batches to combat rare blood disorders like sickle cell anaemia. And since this lab grown blood was never inside a human body, it would be disease free, technically speaking. So it can play a pivotal role in reducing the risk of blood borne diseases like hepatitis and HIV.

During the first trials on human, the volunteers will be injected with very little (a few teaspoons) of this blood. Then the longevity of these cells in the human body and adverse reactions (if any) will be studied. Preliminary tests suggest that blood cells produced in the old fashioned way and the synthetic ones may not be identical but are biologically comparable. So now its just wait and watch for us!!

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Author: Technology Blog