Aussies’ blood breakthrough
Published: June 19, 2005
Australian researchers have made a significant step towards mass-producing human blood in the laboratory - a goal that could end, or at least greatly reduce, the need for human blood donors.
The results, published online in the international journal Blood, show the Melbourne researchers have managed to create blood cells using a more efficient process that allows them to make more, easier than before. Their technique also greatly reduces the risk of contamination by doing away with the soup of animal-derived growth media that is used currently to grow cell cultures.
Only one animal product, a protein called albumen, was used in the new process, greatly reducing the risk of viral or other contamination.
Amazon discount!
Bioinformatics for DummiesAndrew Elefanty, research director of the blood program of the Australian Stem Cell Centre, whose laboratory did the latest work, said the results placed Australia among the top four or five teams in the world racing to perfect laboratory blood mass-production.
Significant hurdles remain before scientists can produce blood by the bucketful.
It continues to be difficult to make artificially grown red blood cells complete their development to the stage where they can transport oxygen efficiently.
Problems also remain in creating blood cells in the quantities required.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: