IN A ground-breaking move, scientists are testing red blood cells grown in a laboratory on human volunteers. If the experiment is successful, the process could make it far easier to supply blood to people who need it to survive.
Two people from the United Kingdom were recently injected with a few teaspoons of red blood cells grown in a lab as part of a clinical trial. The trials will help the research team at the National Health Service Blood and Transplant, a special health authority in the UK, understand whether the blood cells are safe and work in the body.
“This world-leading research lays the groundwork for the manufacture of red blood cells that can safely be used to transfuse people with disorders like sickle cell,” says Farrukh Shah, a medical director for the team.
Red blood cells do an important job: they take oxygen from the lungs and spread it through the body. People who suffer from certain diseases need extra red blood cells to remain healthy.
The research will also look at how
