Scientists Create Artificial blood for Transfusion
Some scientists are trying to develop artificial blood. The success of these findings will become a great hope to save thousands of lives in need of blood donors in desperate situations.
The idea of ??the development of this artificial blood comes with the high demand for blood transfusions that are not proportional to the number of donors, especially in remote areas and areas of conflict.
It is a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Bristol who are developing this synthetic blood from stem cells from umbilical cord of the embryo. They use a machine that mimics the spinal cord work to produce red blood cells in large numbers.
Functionally, the red blood cells produced in the laboratory is no different from the red blood cells produced by the bone marrow in the body. Therefore, the machines used to imitate the workings of the spinal cord.
Meanwhile a number of scientists from the University of Wuhan, China, and the University of Albany, New York, developed blood protein from rice. They claim to be able to extract rice albumin, a protein in blood that is often used to treat burns, trauma, and liver disease.
They hope the finding becomes a safe alternative to save lives in the middle of the limitations of blood donor, as well as to minimize the risk of transmitting HIV and hepatitis through transfusions.
Blood donors are usually separated into three components: red blood cells, platelets, plasma. Platelets are useful to help blood clotting. While the main component of plasma contains a protein called albumin serum. Plasma are commonly prescribed to patients who experience heavy blood loss.
Albumin, which is the most abundant protein in the blood, act to perform critical functions, including bringing hormone and minerals to the body, cleanse harmful toxins from the bloodstream, and helps regulate blood pressure.
“Albumin is an essential protein. Requirement is estimated at more than 500 tons per year worldwide,” said Dr Daichang Yang of the University of Wuhan. “The production of this protein from human blood donors is very limited, while the clinical demand is very high.”
Despite its success, the development of synthetic red blood cell raises criticism by a number of people. However, it raises hopes in the international Red Cross Day which falls today, May 8, 2012.
Tagged with: artificial blood, blood protein, blood protein from rice, blood transfusion, synthetic blood,
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