Scientists develop blood type conversion
RESEARCHERS have created a cheap and simple way to convert all donated blood into group O, the universal group that can be given safely to anyone.
The discovery could eventually reduce blood shortages and make transfusions safer.
Red blood cells fall into four groups, A, B, AB, and O, according to sugars, or antigens, they have on their surface.
Blood from group A, B and AB donors can only be given to certain people, making group O in demand in emergencies when people's blood type is not known, or alternatives are not available.
In a study published yesterday in the journal Nature Biotechnology, an international team of scientists describe enzymes they have found that act like miniature scissors to snip off the sugar molecules, converting all blood cells to group O.
The team leader, Henrik Clausen of the University of Copenhagen, said that giving people the wrong blood could result in severe immune reactions and even death.
"The conversion processes we describe hold promise for achieving the goal of producing universal red blood cells which would improve the blood supply while enhancing the safety of clinical transfusions," he said. Clinical trials were planned to test whether the blood treated with enzymes is safe and effective.
The ABO blood group system was discovered in 1900.
In the 1980s researchers isolated an enzyme from coffee beans that could remove the B antigen from red blood cells. The process was expensive, however, and did not develop further.
Dr Clausen's team revived the approach and searched through 2500 samples of fungi and bacteria to find more powerful enzymes that could efficiently snip off both A and B antigens.