Researchers develop artificial blood to assist shortages
Health care systems across the world are always encouraging citizens to donate blood and often have to deal with shortages.
Every day, scientists and researchers are making extraordinary strides in various fields.
Looking back over the last few decades, incredible medical advancements have occurred.
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In May 2025, London researchers announced they had successfully grown teeth in a lab!
That isn't the only lab-growing activity happening.
There is a constant concern about the lack of blood and access to blood banks.
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According to Al Jazeera, studies by the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that millions of people globally die each year from a lack of access to blood.
While we all know how vital blood donation is, there is only so much we can do as individuals.
Japanese researchers might have found a long-term solution.
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A small initial study in Japan in 2022 began looking into producing artificial blood, produced in labs.
What is artificial blood?
The National Library of Medicine defines artificial blood as "a product made to act as a substitute for red blood cells".
This includes lab-grown and synthetic blood.
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Synthetic blood is still being studied; it is entirely man-made and does not contain human cells.
These molecules are engineered to mimic the function of blood cells, transporting oxygen. It is primarily used for emergencies or military medicine, where immediate oxygen delivery is needed, but finding a matching blood type is difficult.
Lab-grown blood is created by growing human red blood cells in a controlled environment.
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Cedric Ghevaert, professor of transfusion medicine at the University of Cambridge, says that once lab-grown blood is available, it could provide more effective treatment for specific medical cases.
For example, lab-grown platelets may be better at stopping a trauma patient's bleeding.
How to produce lab-grown blood
It all starts with stem cells.
Stem cells are a special type of cells that have two important properties. They are able to make more cells like themselves. That is, they self-renew. And they can become other cells that do different things in a process known as differentiation. Stem cells are found in almost all tissues of the body.
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Since stem cells can become any specific cell, they can also develop into red blood cells or platelets, depending on where the cells are found and how they are stimulated.
Scientists use haematopoietic stem cells found in bone marrow or donor blood and produce all types of blood cells.
These stem cells are then turned into red blood cells in a lab setting and exposed to growth factors (natural substances) that help the cells develop.
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They gradually mature into red blood cells and function as such.
Ghevaert explains that scientists can "gene edit" the stem cells to boost blood production and remove blood group markers, making it available to anyone regardless of their blood type.
When will artificial blood be available?
Most lab-grown and synthetic blood products are still in research and development stages.
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Al Jazeera reports that a 2022 clinical trial in the UK reached an impressive milestone by transfusing lab-grown red blood cells into human volunteers. However, more trials are needed before this product is medically approved for commercial use.
More recently, researchers at Nara University in Nara, Japan, have created “haemoglobin vesicles” (HbVs): Haemoglobin encapsulated within a lipid shell that mimics red blood cells.
The team led by Hiromi Sakai has developed artificial red blood cells by extracting haemoglobin (the iron-rich protein transporting oxygen).
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As mentioned, synthetic cells do not have blood type markers, making them compatible with all blood groups.
Synthetic blood can also be stored at room temperature for two years and refrigerated for five, unlike donated blood, which has a significantly shorter shelf life.
After initial trials in 2022, the researchers have entered a second phase of trials in 2025, with larger doses being administered to volunteers.
Their goal is to make this live-saving innovation available by 2030.
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