Stem Cells, coming on in leaps and bounds

For the first time scientists have managed to create artificial blood cells from embryonic stem cells, which could revolutionise transfusion science!  It’s all thanks to the collaborative efforts of scientists at Advanced Cell Technology, Massachusetts and the University of Illinois.

A successful blood cell is one that can carry large amounts of oxygen, while withstanding the rise in acidity experienced during physical activity.  Tests show the artificial cells can do just that! Able to eject their nuclei during maturation in the same way as normal blood cells, they can store just as much haemoglobin -and just as much oxygen.  They are also remarkably resilient to changes in pH. 

Currently, transfusion science faces many hurdles, including supply, the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases from donors, and immune rejection.  Yet all this could soon be a thing of the past.  So far the team have managed to produce up to 100 billion blood cells in the lab. We’ll need to grow a lot more than that to treat patients, but doing so would eliminate the risk of cross-infection and open up the possibility of making O- negative blood cells.  Incredibly rare, these cells are also incredibly versatile – capable of being given to any patient.

The use of embryonic stem cells has not gone un-questioned.  To remove the stem cells the embryo must be sacrificed in the process- and a potential life along with it. Yet with the recent success in creating embryonic stem cells from skin cells, we might soon be able to bypass the issue entirely.  The prize: ‘better science coinciding with better ethics,’ according to ethicist Josephine Quintavalle.  Today blood cells, tomorrow…who knows!