Study | A crucial step in the production of artificial blood

A study published recently by German. Consequently, British researchers brings us a little closer to a possible production of artificial blood, which could be precious help for blood banks and for patients whose blood group is rarer. Similarly,

The red blood cells which transport oxygen to the organs are produced in the bone marrow within the framework of a process which is not entirely understood by scientists. Nevertheless,

During the last stage of this process. Moreover, the core of precursor cells is expelled in order to make room for hemoglobin which will transport oxygen. However, This enucleation is unique to mammals. Meanwhile,

“This is an important step which was not yet well understood in the maturation of red blood cells. For example, ” commented Doctor Johnathan Mack, who is hematologist and deputy director of transfusion medicine at the McGill university health center. And this is a step that represented an obstacle in the effectiveness of the transformation of stem cells into. a transfusable product. »»

The authors of the new study identified the molecular signal which causes the kernel expulsion. opens the door to the birth of red blood cells, which could make it possible to improve the efficiency of blood production in the laboratory. study | crucial step production

The use of stem cells is currently the most effective method of laboratory blood production. but expulsion of the nucleus occurs in only around 80 % of artificial cells. In addition. these stem cells are difficult to obtain, because they come only from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow donations for the treatment of different problems.

Science now makes it possible to reprogram different cells to make stem cells which will become red blood cells. but the expulsion of the nucleus then occurs in only 40 % of the new cells. The authors of the new study predict that their discovery will increase this percentage considerably.

The transformation of stem cells into cardiac. liver, brain, blood or anything else is an extremely complex process which involves multiple stages whose order must absolutely study | crucial step production be respected, said Doctor Mack.

Reproducing this process in the “very expensive” laboratory “. he said, among other things because one cannot count on the” collaboration “of all these substances that the body naturally provides and which must therefore be identified and produced.

It remains to be seen what will be the clinical repercussions of this discovery, said Doctor Mack.

“We are only at the very beginning,” he said. It is difficult to imagine a world where laboratory blood will replace the blood that is obtained with blood donations. »»

It is more likely that an improved production of artificial blood would be devoted to rarer blood groups in the general population. believes Doctor Mack.

The next step will be study | crucial step production to check whether these results obtained in mice are reproducing in humans. and if the answer is yes, if they are on a large scale, he concluded.

The conclusions of this study were published by the newspaper Science Signaling.