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New breakthrough in manufacture of lab-produced red blood cells
Scientists have developed a new technique to facilitate the creation of laboratory-produced red blood cells in large quantities.
A team from the University of Bristol and NHS Blood and Transplant have created a means of allowing the production of immortalised erythroid cell lines from adult stem cells. These premature red cells can be cultured indefinitely, allowing larger-scale production.
This represents a step forward compared to current techniques, which focus on growing donated stem cells straight into mature red blood cells – a method that produces only small numbers of mature cells and requires frequent donations.
It is hoped that this could lead to the creation of a safe source of transfusions for people with rare blood types, as well as offering benefits for patients in areas of the world where blood supplies are inadequate or unsafe.
Dr Jan Frayne, from the University of Bristol's school of biochemistry, said: "Globally, there is a need for an alternative red cell product. Cultured red blood cells have advantages over donor blood, such as reduced risk of infectious disease transmission."
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