These are red blood cells grown in the laboratory. According to scientists, this is the first significant step towards the creation of artificial blood, writes New Scientist. Luc Duhe at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie, along with colleagues, was able to isolate the so-called hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow of volunteers.

These cells caused growth in cultured red blood cells, which was facilitated by the use of a cocktail of growth factors. After the cells were labeled to be tracked, the scientists injected 10 billion cells (about 2 milliliters of blood) back into the donor.

After five days, 94-100% of the cells continued to be present in the body. But after 26 days there were already 41-63%. This survival rate is quite comparable to conventional red blood cells. Plus, the artificially obtained blood cells were safe (they did not turn into malignant cells), normally attached to oxygen and released it.

The success of the experiment suggests that in the near future we can get the technology of making blood in unlimited quantities.

It is worth noting: earlier scientists have already tried to create a blood substitute, but faced with problems of product safety and its inefficiency. In the near future, Douay is going to start increasing production to the extent that artificial blood cells can be produced quickly in large quantities and relatively inexpensively. According to scientists, one transfusion will require 400 liters of cultured liquid.

News. Gradusnik. En.