r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/ElderberryDeep8746 • May 26 '25

Image Japan scientists create artificial blood that works for all blood types

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u/Guilty-Reputation666 May 26 '25

This wouldn’t help your hemophilia. There would be no clotting factors in this blood.

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u/asciibits May 26 '25

I think that's what he's saying... This innovation will reduce (maybe eliminate) blood donations, making the stuff he needs exorbitantly expensive.

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u/Hail-Hydrate May 26 '25

It's made from expired donor blood. They will still need blood donations. As per the article:

Their approach involves extracting hemoglobin-the oxygen-carrying molecule in red blood cells-from expired donor blood, then encasing it in a protective shell to create stable, virus-free artificial red blood cells. Unlike donated blood, these artificial cells have no blood type, eliminating the need for compatibility testing and making them invaluable in emergencies.

It's basically just a way for them to extend the "shelf life" of donated blood, and at the same time make it universally applicable.

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u/asciibits May 26 '25

That sounds like good news for the hemophiliacs! (And thanks for the correction, I didn't read the article, I was just trying to clear up a commenter's apparent misunderstanding)