“Japanese scientists have begun clinical trials for artificial blood that could help end shortages in emergency medicine. Made from hemoglobin extracted from expired donor blood and encased in protective shells, the synthetic blood is compatible with all blood types and can be stored at room temperature for up to two years,” reports The Doomslayer.
The Good News Network explains:
Japan is the first country to begin clinical trials of artificial blood, a medical innovation which if proven successful, would solve one of the largest hospital challenges of our age.
Beginning back in March, a clinical trial organized by Nara Medical University will look to build on the success of an early-stage trial in 2022 of hemoglobin vesicles, small artificial blood cells that were confirmed to be safe and capable of delivering oxygen as normal.
The trial will administer 100 to 400 milliliters of the artificial blood cells to further test safety before moving onto broader performance and efficacy targets, all in the hopes that by 2030, the artificial blood could enter clinical use….
Japan has recognized that its low birth rate coupled with long life-expectancy will place a likely unsustainable burden of blood donation on a shrinking working-age population, making artificial blood a priority innovation.
One way for countries to expand the blood supply is to do what the United States does, make it legal to compensate people who donate blood. “Blood is big business in the United States, making up 2.69% of the country’s exports,” CNBC says.”In most countries, blood donation for compensation is banned, but not in the United States. So, the U.S. supplies 70% of the world’s plasma, according to the Niskanen Center.” Compensation of donors in the U.S. saves much of the world from deadly shortages of blood plasma. Japan generally does not compensate blood donors.
In addition to artificial blood, researchers have come up with other methods for increasing the blood supply. Nara Medical University Professor Hiromi Sakai at Nara Medical University came up with the idea of using hemoglobins—the oxygen-carrying molecule inside red blood cells—from expired donations and encasing them in protective shells, to remove the need for matching blood types. Another method of preventing wasted blood, encasing hemoglobin in an albumin-family protein, was developed at Chuo University.
Last year, a blood test was developed for brain cancer.
A recently-developed blood test can find signs of cancer in your blood, screening for up to 50 different cancers.
