In a report released recently, researchers describe the use of newly discovered enzymes to convert blood types A, B, and AB into O, the universal donor type. Blood types are based on the type of a molecule, called agglutinogen, found on the surface of red blood cells.
Types A, B, or AB can clump together if mixed, but type O does not react with other types. More than two decades ago, researchers began testing the concept of removing the surface proteins on red blood cells to create universal blood cells, according to the report in the April 1st online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
In 2000, findings from a trial showed that type B red blood cells could be converted into type O cells, which then survive normally when given to type A and O individuals. However, the usefulness of this approach was limited by the large amount of enzymes required for the conversion.
In the present study, Dr Henrik Clausen, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues describe two previously unknown enzymes, small amounts of which are capable of efficiently removing the A and B agglutinogen. "The enzymatic 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," Clausen and his team conclude.
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