Artificial Blood: Sci-Fi Breakthrough or False Hope?
Japanese researchers have developed artificial blood, marking a significant step in this long-standing scientific pursuit. However, large-scale production remains a challenge. In France, the national blood service Établissement français du sang regularly raises alarms over critically low blood supplies, with daily donations falling short of the 10,000 units needed to meet transfusion demands. This challenge is further complicated by ABO/Rh compatibility issues, prompting targeted appeals for rare blood-type donors. This shortage is not unique to France. It is a global concern, often even more severe elsewhere, driving continued efforts to create viable artificial alternatives.
Vesicle Trials
Researchers at Nara University in Nara, Japan have created 'hemoglobin vesicles' (HbVs): Haemoglobin encapsulated within a lipid shell that mimics red blood cells. In a 2022 trial, investigators injected 100 mL of HbVs into 12 healthy volunteers, with no serious adverse events reported.
The team plans to administer up to 400 mL to a larger cohort. If safety is confirmed, future studies will assess haemodynamic and respiratory effectiveness. Investigators hope to achieve industrial production and clinical use by 2030.
Storage Benefits
Artificial blood offers two key advantages over donor blood. First, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 years or up to 5 years if frozen, whereas donated blood expires after 6 weeks. Second, HbVs lack ABO and Rh antigens, making them theoretically compatible with all recipients. Notably, the solution turned purple.
Failed Attempts
The quest for artificial blood holds great promise, as tens of thousands die annually from blood shortages, particularly in low-income countries. However, previous efforts have been repeatedly stalled. In 2011, Luc Douay, MD, PhD, senior study author and Professor of Haematology at Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France, performed France's first transfusion using stem cell-derived red cells. In Japan, military physicians transfused experimental blood into rabbits in 2019 and reported encouraging results from stem cell-derived erythrocyte injections in the United Kingdom in 2022.
'All attempts have failed so far,' Douay said in 2017. While the latest Japanese trials offer renewed hope, experts emphasise the need to expand natural blood donation programs.
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