Japanese scientists have developed a new type of artificial blood that can be used in patients of any blood type.

The artificial blood is created by extracting hemoglobin — a protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells — from expired donor blood. It is then encased in a protective shell to create stable, virus-free artificial red blood cells. As these artificial cells have no blood type, there is no need for compatibility testing. The synthetic blood can reportedly be stored for up to two years at room temperature and five years under refrigeration.

  • JackDark@lemmy.worldEnglish
    20·
    17 days ago

    The artificial blood is created from expired donor blood, so we still have to keep donating blood, but it increases the shelf life from 42 days refrigerated to 2 years at room temp, which is pretty amazing. Studies began in 2022.

  • shads@lemy.lolEnglish
    101·
    17 days ago

    Oh I think I have seen this one, don’t the vampires get to go public now? And we find out werewolves and fairies are real too?

  • wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io
    6·
    17 days ago

    Thinking quickly, Japan constructs a homemade blood from a scientist, a shell and a blood.

    Joking aside, I remember articles on artificial blood from 20 years ago, but it always failed in trials. I’m glad to hear things have progressed a good bit.

  • conditional_soup@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    17 days ago

    This is fuckin huge if it turns out to be a winner. I mean, almost on the level of the discovery of penicillin big. I did 15 years in EMS, and the single biggest problem in Trauma care is the lack of blood substitutes. Once those blood cells leave the body, that’s it, they’re gone, and either you’ve got replacement blood or you don’t. Artificial blood has been one of the holy grail pursuits of medicine for decades, and we’ve had many, many dead ends with it. Hopefully they’ve cracked it.