Blood cells grown in the laboratory give donor patients hope after a successful transfusion
- The red blood cells, which take three weeks to make in a lab, could be a lifeline for people with advanced cancer or sickle cell anemia
- Researchers suspect that cells grown in the laboratory last longer after transfusions
- Could mean people need fewer transfusions, which would reduce iron overload
Red blood cells grown in a laboratory were transfused into two patients in a world-first clinical study.
The cells, which take three weeks to make, could be a lifeline for people with advanced cancer or sickle cell anemia.
Because they require regular transfusions from many donors, they are more likely to have a reaction to one of them, which can make them unable to tolerate transfusions from all blood donors in that group.
dr NHS Blood and Transplant’s Farrukh Shah said: “The need for normal blood donations to provide the vast majority of blood will remain. But the potential for this work to benefit difficult-to-transfuse patients is very great.’
Next, the researchers will test whether the lab-grown red blood cells, made using the stem cells from regularly donated blood, stay in the body after transfusions longer than normal donated blood, which would mean people need fewer transfusions.
Red blood cells grown in a laboratory were transfused into two patients in a world-first clinical study. (Picture from a picture agency)
Ashley Toye, Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Bristol, who led the groundbreaking project, said: “This challenging and exciting study is a major step forward in making blood from stem cells.
“This is the first time that laboratory-grown blood from an allogeneic donor has been transfused, and we’re excited to see how well the cells perform at the end of the clinical trial.”
To create the cells grown in the lab, the researchers used blood from regular donors.
They removed stem cells, which can become any cell in the body.
A special chemical “soup” of nutrients was used to trick the cells into becoming red blood cells – creating a much larger supply of the same blood type as the original donor.
People with sickle cell disease are more likely to be black, and there is currently a shortage of black blood donors, so the lab-grown cells could be a valuable resource.
To create the cells grown in the lab, the researchers used blood from regular donors. (Picture from a picture agency)
Since they are grown fresh in the laboratory and all the cells are produced at the same time, the researchers suspect that they stay in the body longer after transfusions compared to conventional donor blood.
If lab-grown blood lasts longer, its use could mean people need fewer transfusions.
Researchers say this would reduce iron overload from frequent blood transfusions, which can lead to serious complications.
The cells could also be used for people with rare blood types.
At least 10 people will next receive two mini-transfusions, at least four months apart, using both lab-grown cells and standard donated red blood cells.
This allows scientists to find out whether young red blood cells made in the lab last longer than cells made in the body.