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Blood from stem cells likely within next decade
Friday October 28, 2011 09:24:57 AM,
IANS
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London: Artificial
blood sourced from stem cells could be administered to organ
transplant patients within the next decade.
A research team has developed a method of taking adult stem cells
from bone marrow and growing them in the lab to produce blood
cells which look and act like their real counterparts.
Once their technique is fine-tuned, the team may consider using
stem cells taken from embryos, or reprogrammed skin cells, instead
of adult cells, to grow them in much greater quantities in lab.
Marc Turner, professor at Edinburgh University, who led the study,
said: "I think it will probably be two or three years before we
get to clinical trials and I would think it will be a decade or so
before one sees these kinds of artificial red cells or cultured
red cells in routine general practice."
Scientists are also developing alternative blood-like substances
which could be shot into the body as a "stopgap" until an actual
blood transfusion could be performed, the Telegraph reports.
New infections such as vCJD, the human form of mad cow disease,
remain a risk and there are also concerns blood becomes less
effective the longer it is stored.
Blood produced from stem cells would avoid these risks and could
be manufactured as type O-negative, which is produced by just
seven percent of the population but is suitable for use in into up
to 98 percent of patients.
While it would be an imperfect substitute for real blood,
artificial blood could revolutionise treatment in ambulances, war
zones and disaster areas, experts said.
It could also be used in certain hospital situations, for example
in elective surgery, and save hundreds of thousands of lives in
parts of the world where blood banks are not available.
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(Photo:
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