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

For the first time in the world, scientists have given laboratory-grown blood to two people, an achievement they hope will help revolutionize treatments for diseases such as sickle cell disease.

The team announced this week that two people were injected with red blood cells grown in the laboratory for the first time in the world as part of a clinical trial. This is the first step in observing whether laboratory-grown blood cells are safe and work in the body-a major step forward for people with rare blood types or blood diseases.

The experiment is an attempt to figure out how to grow these types of cells in the laboratory after decades of work. The cells used in the experiment were grown from stem cells taken from adult donor blood.

According to BBC, the team needed 500000 stem cells to produce 50 billion red blood cells. Of this number, 15 billion cells are at the correct developmental stage of blood transfusion. Healthy adults have about 3 million to 5 million red blood cells per cubic millimeter of blood.

"it's great that we can now grow enough red blood cells to medical grade to start this experiment." Rebecca Cardigan, head of the development of NHS blood and transplant components, said in a statement.

Is it safe?

The team behind the study announced on November 7 that artificial blood cells were grown from stem cells collected from donors and have so far been injected into two people.

This marks the first time that blood cells grown in the laboratory have been injected into a human body, and the recipient is not a donor, scientists say.

About one teaspoon to two teaspoons, or 5 to 10 milliliters of laboratory-grown blood, was injected into the participants. In routine blood transfusions, patients have to transfuse much more blood than this.

The researchers pointed out that blood recipients were closely monitored and there were no reports of "adverse" side effects. "they are all fine and healthy," the expert said. "

As the trial progresses, at least 10 participants will receive two "mini blood transfusions", one from lab-grown blood and the other from standard donated blood, at least four months apart.

Scientists will analyze whether "young" red blood cells grown in the laboratory live longer than cells produced in the body.

Better than "real" blood?

Blood transfusions can save lives and are suitable for a variety of situations, from the treatment of people with massive bleeding after childbirth or serious accidents, to the treatment of sickle cell disease and certain types of cancer.

The infusion is part of a clinical trial conducted by NHS Blood and Transplantation to see how long laboratory-cultured cells last in the body compared to donated blood cells.

Experts involved in the study said that because the blood cells grown in the laboratory are new and the blood collected directly from donors is made up of cells from donors of different ages, they expect the blood grown in the laboratory to live longer.

If laboratory-cultured cells last longer in the body, this may mean that people who need regular blood transfusions may not need regular blood transfusions. This in itself is impressive. But the trial also lays the groundwork for a bigger step: creating laboratory-grown blood for rare blood types that are often not found in donations.

Professor Ashley Toy of the University of Bristol and the Department of Blood and Transplant Research (NHS Blood and Transplant) of the National Health Service said in a video outlining the trial and its goals that because the cells grown in the laboratory were "very fresh and ready to use", the team hoped that the cells grown in the laboratory would perform better.

It is possible to "completely change" the method of treatment.

The researchers admitted on November 7 that further trials were needed before laboratory-grown blood could be promoted for medical use, but they said that their study marks an "important" step in using laboratory-grown blood to improve the treatment of patients with "complex blood transfusion needs."

"if proved to be safe and effective, artificial blood cells can revolutionize the treatment of patients with blood diseases, such as sickle cell disease and rare blood types," they said in a press release. "

"for some people with these diseases, it may be difficult to find enough matching donated blood. In addition, if artificial cells survive longer in the body, patients who often need blood transfusions may need less frequent blood transfusions. This will reduce iron overload caused by frequent blood transfusions, which can lead to serious complications."

Farrukh Shah, director of blood transfusion medicine at the NHS Department of Blood and Transplantation, explained in a statement on November 7 that patients who need regular or intermittent blood transfusions develop antibodies against rare blood groups, making it more difficult to find blood supplies that can be transfused to these people without potentially life-threatening reactions.

"this world-leading study lays the foundation for the production of red blood cells that can be safely used for blood transfusions in patients with diseases such as sickle cell disease," she said. the vast majority of blood transfusions still require normal blood donations. but the potential for this work to benefit patients who find it difficult to receive blood transfusions is great. "

John James, chief executive of the British sickle Cell Disease Association (Sickle Cell Society), said in a statement that while the study offered "real hope", it was important to remember that the NHS still relies on 250 people a day to donate blood to treat patients with sickle cell disease.

There is still a lot of work to be done before it becomes a reality, including expanding production to create the amount of blood doctors need for clinical use. Even if laboratory-grown blood becomes part of routine care, blood donation is still crucial.

"normal blood donation is still needed to provide the vast majority of blood, but the potential for this work to benefit patients with difficulty in blood transfusion is very significant." Shah said.

The information provided in this article is for general guidance and information purposes only, and the content of this article should not be regarded as investment, business, legal or tax advice under any circumstances.

This article comes from the official account of Wechat: new Research (ID:chuxinyanjiu), author: Chloe Taylor | compilation: Tang Shi

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