First World: Artificial Blood from Stem Cells

French researchers from Inserm and the AP – HP were able to inject a patient to red blood cells created from his own stem cells. In the future, the sick who need a blood transfusion become their own donors? Hope seems permissible.

For a long time, it seeks to realize artificial blood by different methods, such as the reprogramming skin cells, or casting of hydrogel. At the University Pierre and Marie Curie (UPMC) in Paris, Luc Douay and his team explore the way of stem cells and has just achieve a remarkable, presented in the journal Blood. The study took place in two time. Using a human donor stem cells, scientists first managed to produce billions of cultivated red blood cells. They have this used growth factors specific ” that regulate proliferation and maturation of stem cells into red blood cells .

But the enormous step forward came when the French team has put back red cells grown from stem cells of a patient. ” After five days, continued Luc Douay, survival of these red blood cells in the blood was understood between 94% and 100%.”. And after 26 days, between 41 and 63. % “These results are very positive as” this rate is comparable to the average half-life of 28 days of native red blood cells normal.” “We therefore demonstrate that life and survival of cultured cells are similar to those of native red blood cells, which supports their validity as a possible source of transfusion .”

An unlimited reserve of blood cells?

This study is the first to show that these cells can survive in the human body. For Luc Douay, it is a “major breakthrough for the transfusion medicine .” “We badly need new sources of blood products that can be transfused, especially to cope with the shortage of blood donors and to reduce the risk of infection related to new emerging viruses, associated with the classic transfusion .”

The researchers next challenge will be to consider a production on a large scale of these cells. Another story. As noted by Luc Douay, ” This requires further technological progress in the field of cell engineering.” “But we believe that cultivated red blood cells could provide an unlimited reserve of blood cells and an alternative to conventional transfusion products “.

source: http://health-med-news.com/health/first-world-artificial-blood-from-stem-cells/