Artificial blood breakthrough: Japanese scientists develop universal solution for all blood types
Artificial blood isn't just theoretical anymore, it's real, and its potential is astonishing.
Image: Kaboompics.com/pexels
Imagine a world where blood shortages no longer cost lives. A world where emergencies in rural South African clinics or busy city hospitals aren't derailed by the lack of compatible blood for transfusions.
Thanks to revolutionary research by Japanese scientists, this future may be closer than we think.
A critical breakthrough in healthcare is unfolding: the development of artificial blood.
This innovation, led by Hiromi Sakai and his team at Japan's Nara Medical University, has the potential to save millions of lives globally by addressing one of the most pressing challenges in healthcare, blood shortages.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad Loading
The blood supply crisis
Blood transfusions are essential in healthcare, saving lives during surgeries, childbirth, trauma, and the treatment of severe illnesses.
Yet, maintaining an adequate blood supply is a constant challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like South Africa.
The demand for O-negative blood, the universal donor type, is particularly high. This blood type can be used in emergencies for patients of any blood group, but its supply is often insufficient.
The short shelf life of donated red blood cells makes the situation even more difficult, as they can only be kept for 42 days under refrigeration.
The introduction of artificial blood could be a game-changer in ensuring that no patient is turned away due to a lack of compatible blood.
A team of scientists in Japan have created artificial blood
Image: Pavel Danilyuk/pexels
The science behind artificial blood
Artificial blood isn't just theoretical anymore; it's real, and its potential is astonishing.
According to "Tokyo Weekender", Sakai's team has developed artificial red blood cells by extracting haemoglobin (the iron-rich protein that transports oxygen in the bloodstream) from expired donor blood.
Here's how it works: Haemoglobin extraction: Haemoglobin is isolated from expired blood donations, ensuring no waste.
Encapsulation: The haemoglobin is encased in a protective shell, creating stable, virus-free artificial red blood cells.
Universal compatibility: Because these synthetic cells lack blood type markers, they're compatible with all blood groups; no cross-matching is required.
The benefits don't stop there. Unlike donated blood, which requires refrigeration and has a short lifespan, artificial blood can reportedly be stored for up to two years at room temperature and five years when refrigerated.
This could transform emergency response systems in remote areas where accessing fresh blood supplies is a logistical nightmare. Early trials have already demonstrated the potential of artificial blood. In 2022, Sakai's team conducted small-scale studies with 12 healthy male volunteers aged 20 to 50.
The participants received intravenous injections of haemoglobin vesicles, which mimic the oxygen-carrying function of natural red blood cells.
Mild side effects: A few participants reported mild symptoms, but no serious adverse effects were observed.
Stable vital signs: There were no significant changes in blood pressure or other vital signs, indicating promising safety levels.
Building on this success, the trials have entered a second phase as of March this year, with larger doses (100 to 400 millilitres) being administered to volunteers.
If no significant side effects are observed, the research will shift to evaluating the efficacy and safety of artificial blood for practical use. The goal is to make this life-saving innovation widely available by 2030.
Early trials have already demonstrated the potential of artificial blood.
Image: Ivan Samkov/pexels
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
an hour ago
- eNCA
Japan says 'progress' but no 'agreement yet' in US tariff talks
TOKYO - Japan said it was making "progress" in talks aimed at easing US President Donald Trump's tariffs but cautioned that the two sides have not found "a point of agreement yet". Japan, a key US ally and its biggest investor, is subject to the same 10 percent baseline tariffs imposed on most nations plus steeper levies on cars, steel and aluminium. Trump also announced an additional 24 percent "reciprocal" tariff on Japan in early April, but later paused it along with similar measures on other countries until early July. Japan wants all levies announced by Trump lifted. During a fifth round of talks, "we further made progress towards an agreement", Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo's trade envoy, told Japanese reporters in Washington. But, he added: "We've not been able to find a point of agreement yet". Akazawa said Tokyo was hoping to seal a deal "as soon as possible", however, talks may still be ongoing when a summit of the Group of Seven wealthy nations starts on June 15. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump are reportedly planning to hold bilateral talks around the time of the G7 summit in Canada. Washington's 25-percent auto tariffs are particularly painful for Tokyo, with roughly eight percent of all Japanese jobs tied to the sector. Japan's economy, the world's fourth largest, contracted 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025, adding to pressure on the unpopular Ishiba ahead of upper house elections expected in July.
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Unsafe peanut butter recall ends in National Consumer Commission settlement with manufacturer
Consumers who unknowingly purchased contaminated peanut butter products can now see some accountability, as the National Consumer Tribunal (NCT) has imposed a R500 000 fine on House of Natural Butters for supplying impure and unsafe food to the South African market. The NCT said in a media statement yesterday that a settlement agreement was entered into between the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, trading as Eden All Butters, on February 25. In terms of the settlement, House of Natural Butters agreed to pay an administrative fine of R500 000. On Tuesday, the NCT confirmed the settlement agreement and made it a consent order in terms of section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 68 of 2008. In February 2024, the NCC received peanut butter recall notifications from Dis-Chem and Pick 'n Pay due to elevated levels of aflatoxin found in certain peanut butter. When engaging with the retailers, the NCC discovered that both had ordered their products from House of Natural Butters. The NCC then consulted with the manufacturer to understand their processes. The manufacturer informed the NCC that it also produced items for other suppliers. House of Natural Butters subsequently recalled all affected products through a series of product safety recalls, which commenced on February 2, 2024. The NCC established that the affected products had higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, as set out under regulation notice 1145 (regulations governing tolerance for fungus-produced toxins in foodstuffs). Based on this information, the NCC initiated an investigation into the affairs of House of Natural Butters. Aflatoxin, when consumed at higher than acceptable levels, may lead to health complications like nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The investigation revealed that between May 11, 2023, and November 6, 2023, House of Natural Butters imported and supplied contaminated, decayed and impure peanuts, groundnuts and byproducts to South African consumers through various retailers. The investigation concluded that the supplier's conduct was in contravention of regulation 3 of Regulation 638 of 20181 and regulation 2(b) of Regulation 1145 of 2004, read with section 2(1)(b)(i) of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 1972, read with section 55(2)(b) and (d) of the CPA. In granting the consent order, the tribunal noted that 'the respondent imported the products from Malawi and Zambia using trucks and trailers, via land borders and port entries. The trucks and trailers did not have the requisite certificates of acceptability required for the transportation of food. Further laboratory test results from various accredited food testing laboratories established that the products were contaminated, decayed and impure'. The matter between the NCC and another manufacturer of peanut butter implicated in this issue is still ongoing. The NCC's acting commissioner, Hardin Ratshisusu, says: 'The NCC welcomes this consent order as it brings this matter against House of Natural Butters to a finality. It is incumbent upon suppliers of food products in the South African market to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations and the Consumer Protection Act.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
5 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Illicit financial flows are derailing Africa's future
Illicit financial flows (IFFs) continue to undermine the future of Africa, hampering the ability of governments to adequately fund education, healthcare and development projects essential for lifting people out of poverty and fostering sustainable economic growth. As business leaders, politicians, academics and citizens, we cannot sit back. We must help curb the illegal flow of money out of our country through a cohesive effort by all stakeholders, both local and international, to ensure safeguards are put in place, laws are harmonised, and all enforcement agencies work together to address the problem. At the same time, we must not do anything that will deter investment. Ahead of G20 summit in Johannesburg in November, as well precursor meetings — such as the G20 finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting and the T20 midterm conference held this month — we must formulate proposals that integrate the perspectives of public and private sector institutions, nonprofit organisations, think-tanks and universities. Together we can make valuable policy recommendations, such as using AI to turn vast amounts of data into information for developing strategic interventions. Working alongside each other, we can identify gaps in current legal frameworks and areas where greater co-operation is required. We must seek ways to stem illicit money flows. When individuals or companies evade their tax obligations, deliberately falsify import or export documents, or misappropriate funds intended for development projects, they are not committing victimless crimes. These outflows not only weaken our reputation in the eyes of the international markets, but also make it harder for the government to raise capital at manageable interest rates. We already owe too much: the National Treasury predicts that debt on our national balance sheet will be 77% of GDP this year. IFFs directly undermine economic growth, costing the South African economy the equivalent of almost 5% of annual collected tax revenue — losses of about R92.5bn. On the African continent, the numbers are more alarming, with between $50bn (about R889bn) and $90bn stolen annually, according to the UN. A 2020 report from a UN conference on trade and development states that IFFs represent as much as 3.7% of Africa's GDP. This figure has almost certainly grown since then, given that those who break laws will keep doing so if they are not held accountable. We recently convened a G20 multi-stakeholder dialogue to better understand this challenge, quantify its impact, assess current solutions, and identify new ones . One of our speakers, deputy minister of international relations and co-operation Alvin Botes, spelt out what this theft means: countries with high IFFs spend at least 25% less on healthcare and 50% less on education compared with their peers. IFFs wipe out any good the $65bn in aid Africa receives each year might do. They reduce progress made in making people's lives better. There are initiatives under way to address IFFs. For example, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) collaborates with the UN to strengthen countries' financial systems and prevent illicit outflows. While South Africa's inclusion on the FATF's grey list is viewed by some as an embarrassment, it enables us to strengthen our legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhance our anti-money-laundering capabilities. While South Africa's inclusion on the FATF's grey list is viewed by some as an embarrassment, it enables us to strengthen our legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhance our anti-money-laundering capabilities. We are also seeing prosecutions of high-level fraudsters, especially those who use dubious accounting methods to move money around and avoid paying their fair share of taxes. It is gratifying to see that action has been taken in this regard. Other UN entities have developed discussion platforms and measurement systems. There are 10 asset-recovery inter-agency networks that have 178 member countries, allowing illicit money flows to be traced across borders. In addition, Interpol supports national and international law enforcement agencies to investigate, trace and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. We must all strive towards expanding such interventions, as well as advocate for and enable closer alignment between government departments and between local law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts. However, our solutions must not cause more harm than good by discouraging legitimate investment. We should not, for example, implement unfair tax regimes that could result in capital flight. We must also not inhibit international investment inflows by making it nearly impossible to comply with legislation and regulations. Such a state of affairs would merely encourage companies to operate businesses in sectors such as import and export under the radar. Through working together by sharing data, harmonising laws and holding those responsible for IFFs accountable, we can strengthen the economy by plugging the holes through which money leaks and encouraging investment. Our people deserve nothing less.
