A new method allows the change of blood type A and blood type B to blood type O. Blood type O is considered the "universal donor", meaning that type O blood can be transfused to those with any of the different blood types. This innovation may help prevent lack of blood when needed
By: Gilat Simon
Blood doses in the blood bank. of MDA website
A new method allows the change of blood type A and blood type B to blood type O. Blood type O is considered the "universal donor", meaning that type O blood can be transfused to those with any of the different blood types. This innovation may help prevent lack of blood when needed.
The four main human blood types are A, B, AB and O. These different blood types result from differences in molecules called antigens, which dot the surface area of red blood cells, and trigger an immune response. Individuals with type A blood carry only type A antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. Since they don't have type B antigens, they recognize these antigens (according to red blood cells introduced in a blood transfusion for example) as foreign bodies, produce antibodies against them and destroy them. That is, until now it was not possible to give a person with blood type A a blood transfusion with red blood cells on which type B antigens are present. A similar scenario occurs when individuals with blood type B, who carry type B antigens on their red blood cells, are given a blood transfusion that also includes antigens Type A. The immune response is activated against A antigens and the foreign red blood cells are destroyed.
Type O blood lacks both A and B antigens, so it can be safely raised to the blood of the owners of the four different blood types. People with type O blood can receive blood transfusions only from people with O blood, which lacks the antigens.
While those with O blood are the universal donors, those with AB blood are the universal recipients. They present antigens of both types, A and B, on the surface of their red blood cells, so they will not produce antibodies against any of these antigens. They can receive type A, B, AB and O blood transfusions.
A group of scientists led by Henrik Claussen from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, in collaboration with a biotechnology company called ZymeQuest, identified enzymes that change different blood types to blood type O. The structure of antigens A and B are partly similar. Both antigens have a similarly branched carbon molecule. The differences are in the sugar residues covering the ends of the sections. The researchers were looking for enzymes that would cut the remaining sugars from the red blood cell, without damaging the cell itself. In the past, the company isolated an enzyme derived from coffee beans that cleaves antigen B, but its efficiency was not high enough. To identify and industrially produce more effective enzymes, the researchers examined extracts from 2500 different types of bacteria and fungi. They focused on two enzymes: one, from a bacterium that causes meningitis in toddlers, which turns blood type A into O, and the other, isolated from a human intestinal bacterium, which turns blood type B into O. (When the two enzymes are activated together, they turn blood type AB into O).
Each enzyme is so effective that it removes a sufficient amount of antigens from the red blood cells so that in a chemical test as well as in an FDA blood type test no antigens were found at all. The researchers reported their sensational findings in the online journal Nature Biotechnology. "Zym-Quest" is testing the effectiveness of the enzyme that converts blood type A to O in various laboratories and hopes to conduct a clinical trial of the enzyme that converts B to O later this year, Clausen says.
The findings are very impressive, experts in the field testify, and may solve problems of blood deficiency of various kinds in the future. If it turns out that the new technology is safe and effective and financially suitable, there will no longer be problems of a lack of blood type O in the blood banks and there will be no need to adjust the blood transfusion to the patient in urgent cases, since it will be possible to prepare a large amount of blood type O in advance for anyone who requires it, and in fact produce a blood type universal.
3 תגובות
What is the name of the enzymes that change blood type to blood type o?
Thanks in advance
Very interesting article
my people Changing the type of blood and donating it is not an invention but a technological breakthrough, an invention is a completely different thing, it needs to go through processing and engineering. The next invention will be the duplication of organs with the help of growing cells under controlled conditions. Or the cracking of the chromosome, which will allow the entry of the person into a space of change, the genetic structure. Do you know what micro elements are? Or the meridian? I will tell you about them in the following articles. Your last words are unnecessary and capable of misleading "What will be the next invention? Universal embroidery? Will they no longer be forced to do tissue matching for organ donors?
Both interesting and impressive" How do you know that this will be the next invention? The governments will not invest money in donating tissue or whatever it was, but only in new aircraft, laser technologies for combat and space use, and the development of an aircraft for Mars. In this, a huge capital is invested up to about a trillion dollars just in Lockheed fighter planes .
very impressive
I assume that the next step will be genetic modifications that will make the active site in the enzyme be more effective in binding to antigens A or B on the surface of the cells, thus reducing the amount of enzyme that needs to be dispersed in a blood bag.
What will be the next invention? Universal embroidery? Will they no longer be forced to do tissue matching for organ donors?
Both interesting and impressive.