For the First Time Ever, People Are Getting Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood Cells

There is a clinical trial going on in the United Kingdom. The study is the first to grow red blood cells in the lab for use in humans. These blood cells would be valuable for people with rare blood types, but they wouldn't replace traditional blood donations.

Scientists from the UK's National Health Services are conducting the trial. healthy volunteers are expected to enroll in the study Four months apart, they will receive two mini-transfusions of lab-grown blood cells and standard cells from the same donor. Two people have already gotten lab-grown blood cells and so far they have not experienced any side effects.

Phase I trials are designed to test the safety of novel or experimental treatments. On average, red blood cells live for about 120 days after being taken from a typical blood donation. The researchers want the lab-grown cells to live longer than the standard cells.

If the trial is a success, it will mean that patients who currently need regular long-term blood transfusions will need fewer in the future.

Blood can be made in the lab. Stem cells in our blood marrow can be used to make new red blood cells, but it is difficult to duplicate the process. The researchers believe that they have found a more effective way to extract stem cells from donated blood, to grow these cells using a unique blend of vitamins and minerals, and to purify enough healthy and mature red blood cells from the resulting mixture to be worth the effort.

Lab grown blood cells won't replace the donated supply anytime soon. The team's process is not as efficient as the body can do. They need about 24 liters of their solution to get rid of red blood cells. The majority of our blood is red blood cells.

Even if mass-produced lab-grown blood cells are not possible in the near future, they may still be able to help a lot of people. One day, this technology could provide a more reliable and longer- lasting supply of blood cells to people who have a rare mix of blood types or who have developed a condition that makes it difficult to receive standard transfusions.

This is only the beginning. It will take at least five to 10 years for lab-grown blood cells to be made available to the public.