A different type of blood

You might have seen a rather endearing poster featuring a baby connected to a syringe giving blood, with the message that 'your blood could save my life'. This is a poster commonly used to promote blood donation campaigns islandwide. It does not hurt to give a pint of blood occasionally and there are many people who give blood quite often. It is one of the most meritorious deeds I can imagine. After all, your blood could help save someone's life, as the poster suggests. If the type matches, or if you are a universal donor (or recipient), the body accepts the new blood as its own, as blood does not have immunity-rejection problems that other organs face.

There is a soaring demand for blood worldwide, with the increase in accidents, diseases, crime, natural disasters etc. Only very healthy individuals can donate blood and even then, it is a voluntary process. Hence, blood (of the matching types) is often not in adequate supply at hospitals and emergency medical facilities.

This sometimes leads to unnecessary deaths, even though other aspects of the treatment (medication, surgery) may have gone well.

Some countries do use 'artificial' blood obtained from cow's blood, but patients treated with such blood have developed other complications, which rules it out as a general remedy. But a far better solution seems to be in sight: Artificial or synthetic blood. Like almost every new discovery in medical science, synthetic blood is a bit controversial but its potential as a life saving mechanism cannot be dismissed lightly. Just imagine the possibilities: An endless supply of blood for any emergency of any scale. It would also end any chance of transmitting a disease such as AIDS or Hepatitis through a blood transfusion, eliminating expensive screening processes. Storage will also become easier, because natural blood tends to lose its effectiveness over a long period in storage.

There are some countries which still do not have conventional blood banks and artificial blood would be a better alternative for them.

It was reported last week that clinical trials using blood created from adult stem cells are set to begin within the next two or three years. It could soon become routinely used where real blood is unavailable. Moreover, scientists are also developing alternative bloodlike substances which could be injected into the body as a "stop gap" until an actual blood transfusion could be performed.

A team of researchers at Edinburgh University developed a method of taking adult stem cells from bone marrow and growing them in the laboratory to produce cells which look and act almost identically to red blood cells.

The team may consider using stem cells taken from embryos, or reprogrammed skin cells, instead of adult cells because although the end product does not mimic red blood as closely, they can be grown in much greater quantities in the lab.

Several other scientists are trying to develop a completely artificial alternative to blood which performs the same key functions and would be safe to use in patients of every blood type. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, this could involve packing haemoglobin into a synthetic cell-like structure, or using a chemical to hold the haemoglobin together so that it can be injected without the need for red blood cells.

The biggest benefit is that artificial blood (of whatever origin) could be configured as Type O Negative, which is produced by just 7 per cent of the world population but is suitable for use in into up to 98 per cent of people. Scientists still do not see it as a total substitute for natural blood. But artificial blood could revolutionise treatment in ambulances, war zones and disaster areas.

The inventors think it will probably be "two or three years before we get to clinical trials" and "a decade or so before one sees these kinds of artificial red cells or cultured red cells in routine general practice".

The lead researcher Prof. Marc Turner predicts that in two to three years, he will be ready to inject a teaspoon of man-made blood into healthy volunteers in the first trial. That is very encouraging indeed - by 2020, artificial blood could be commonly available. However, some concerns have to be addressed.

The costs of artificial blood are still not clear in these early days. If the manufacturing cost is prohibitively high, emerging economies could be shut out of this development, although the demand for blood is high in those countries. It would be prudent to involve the World Health Organisation at some point in the process of distribution of artificial blood worldwide, so that developing countries also benefit.

Artificial blood is only part of the story, though. If you remember the famous TV series' Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man, they featured individuals who had artificial devices embedded in their bodies. With artificial blood becoming a distinct possibility, such bionic people do no longer sound far-fetched.

Actually, there already are nearly 1,000 people who have been fitted with artificial hearts, no less. Most of the patient's own heart is replaced with a device that delivers blood to the muscles and organs using an external battery-powered pump.

The patient carries this around in a rucksack, and it is connected by tubes that enter his or her body just under the rib cage. They would still be better off with a donated (natural) heart, but the patients can at least wait for one while wearing this device. Man-made lungs are already a reality too.

The device called the NovaLung is being tested to help patients having asthma attacks and pneumonia, as well as those awaiting a lung transplant.

The size of a CD case, it is plumbed into the body's circulation system through blood vessels in the legs. Rudimentary artificial eyes are also being tested. These might not afford full-colour 20/20 vision, but they will help the visually impaired to see their surroundings well enough to avoid obstacles. These are just a few exciting developments in the bionic organs field and we hope they will ultimately become affordable enough for all.