Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

November 8 (Xinhua) in a landmark clinical trial, human hematopoiesis cultivated in the laboratory was injected into the human body for the first time. British researchers say this will significantly improve the treatment of patients with blood diseases and rare blood types.

In the first phase of this broader trial, two patients in the UK received a small amount of human hematopoiesis (equivalent to a few teaspoons) to observe its performance in the human body. The trial, which will be extended to 10 other volunteers over a few months, aims to study the lifespan of blood cells cultured in the laboratory and compare them with normal blood cells.

The aim is not to replace routine human blood donation, which will continue to be the main source of blood transfusion, the researchers said. But the technology allows scientists to create very rare blood types. These blood types are difficult to obtain, but they are crucial for people who rely on regular blood transfusions because of diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

"this world-leading study lays the foundation for artificial red blood cells that can be safely used for blood transfusions in patients with diseases such as sickle cells," said Dr. Farrukh Shah, medical director of the NHS Blood and Transplantation Transfusion Center and one of the project's collaborators. Although the vast majority of blood still requires normal blood donation, this work is of great benefit to patients who find it difficult to find a source of blood donation. "

The hematopoiesis study, conducted by researchers in Bristol, Cambridge and London, as well as the NHS Blood and Transplantation Centre, focuses on cultivating red blood cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.

Blood grown in the ▲ lab is stored in a facility in Bristol. First, the researchers donate blood regularly and test for flexible stem cells that can become red blood cells. Second, they put these cells in the nutrient solution of the laboratory. In about three weeks, the nutrient solution will encourage these cells to proliferate and develop into more mature cells.

The researchers then used a standard filter to purify the cells, the same filter used to remove white blood cells during routine blood donation. Finally, red blood cells are stored and injected into the patient.

▲ laboratory cultured red blood cells in this experiment, laboratory cultured human hematopoiesis was labeled with a radioactive substance often used in medical procedures to monitor its status in the body.

The same process will be done on 10 volunteers, each of whom will receive two blood transfusions at intervals of at least four months, injected with 5-10 milliliters of normal blood and human hematopoiesis to compare the lifespan of red blood cells. The researchers hope that artificial red blood cells have a longer life span, which means that patients will need fewer and fewer blood transfusions over time.

Normal blood usually contains young and old red blood cells, which means their lifespan is difficult to predict. At the same time, because the blood cultured in the laboratory is fresh, this means that it should be able to maintain the expected life expectancy of 120 days of red blood cells.

Nevertheless, the current cost of this technology is quite high. According to the NHS Blood and Transplant Center, the average cost of blood transfusions for NHS is currently about 145pounds (RMB 1200), and laboratory-developed substitutes are likely to be more expensive.

The NHS Blood and Transplantation Center says there is no data on the cost of human hematopoiesis, but it will be reduced as the scale of clinical trials expands. A spokesman said: "if the experiment is successful and the research works, then the technology is likely to be popularized on a large scale in the next few years, which means that the cost will be reduced."

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