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The First Trial Results of Artificial Blood Use Are Encouraging

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Lisa Winter

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99 The First Trial Results of Artificial Blood Use Are Encouraging
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There is an incredible demand for human blood. In the United States alone, a transfusion is required every two seconds. Over 41,000 one-pint donations are needed every single day. While as much as 38% of the American population is able to donate blood, only around 10% actually do, which isn’t enough to keep up with demand. However, the use of synthetic blood may change all of that. 

 

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Synthetic blood may seem like a fantasy from HBO’s True Blood, but a research team in Romania has had surprisingly encouraging results from the first trials of using blood manufactured in a laboratory. The blood is composed of expected ingredients like water, salt, and albumin, but it also contains proteins from an unlikely source: marine worms. The iron protein, hemerythrin, is responsible for oxygen transport and storage. 

 

Hemerythrin has the added benefit of making the blood stress resistant, which has been a considerable challenge in other attempts to manufacture a synthetic blood alternative. Previous blood formulas could not stand up to stress factors and ended up turning toxic. Hemerythrin is the only protein to succeed on this front so far.

 

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The trials were completed using mice, and will continue to do so until it has been exhaustively shown that the synthetic blood does not pose a risk for toxicity. Head researcher, Radu Silaghi-Dumitrescu, from Babes-Bolyai University speculates that it will be around two more years before the formula is ready for human testing. Human trials “represent an enormous risk” and Silaghi-Dumitrescu wants to ensure all safety concerns have been addressed beforehand.

 

Success in trials over the next two years will lead the team to publish their results and Silaghi-Dumitrescu has confirmed that he will seek a patent on the formula. 

 

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Earlier this year, a Scottish laboratory was granted permission to begin human trials for synthetic blood derived from adult stem cells.


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