Using enzymes produced by a bacteria that almost everyone has in their gut, researchers have removed the antigens from red blood cells that determine blood type, putting us within reach of producing universal donor blood.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/15069736

Bacterial enzyme strips away blood types to create universal donor blood

“Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Lund University, Sweden, have used enzymes produced by a common gut bacteria to remove the A and B antigens from red blood cells, bringing them one step closer to creating universal donor blood.”

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      282·
      5 months ago

      Well in an emergency, once can be the difference between decades of life or near-immediate death, so I’d still call this a massive win…

    • AWistfulNihilist@lemmy.worldEnglish
      252·
      5 months ago

      Article

      They specially mention this in the article. It does work on multiple antigens beyond ABO, they even list that there are over 40 blood types that we know of with 300+ antigens.

      Did what you do at a blood bank involve an education or just a name tag, cause they have receptionists and hourly workers at blood banks.

    • glimse@lemmy.worldEnglish
      18·
      5 months ago

      I don’t feel like they were expecting this to change a lot right now - it’s a stepping stone

      bringing them one step closer to creating universal donor blood."

    • Infynis@midwest.socialEnglish
      7·
      5 months ago

      How many people do receive more than one blood transfusion on average? Seems like something that doesn’t happen often, and maybe this could make it easier for the most common uses of donor blood?