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   Blood groups "can be converted"

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Topic: Blood groups "can be converted" (Read 339 times)

Genius
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Blood groups "can be converted"
« on: Apr 2^nd, 2007, 11:58am »

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Blood groups 'can be converted'

Supplies of blood are always stretched
Scientists have developed a way of converting one blood group into another.
The technique potentially enables blood from groups A, B and AB to be converted into group O, which can be safely transplanted into any patient.

The method, which makes use of newly discovered enzymes, may help relieve shortages of blood for transfusions.

The work, led by the University of Copenhagen, is reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Using incompatible blood during a transfusion can put a patient's life in danger.

The blood cells of people with group A and B blood contain one of two different sugar molecules - known as antigens - which can trigger an immune system response.

People with AB blood have both types of molecule, while those with group O blood have neither.

People produce antibodies against the antigens they lack.

This means groups A, B and AB can only be given to patients with compatible blood, while O - as long as it is rhesus negative - can be given to anyone.

The new technique works by using bacterial enzymes to cut sugar molecules from the surface of red blood cells.

After a search of 2,500 fungi and bacteria the researchers discovered two bacteria - Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacterioides fragilis - which contained potentially useful enzymes.

They found that enzymes from both bacteria were able to remove both A and B antigens from red blood cells.

Trials needed

However, they say that patient trials will be needed before the conversion method can be used in hospitals.

Writing in the same journal, blood experts Geoff Daniels, of the Bristol Institute for Transfusion Sciences, and Stephen Withers, of the University of British Columbia, Canada, welcome the research.

They said the use of enzymes to convert blood group has long been proposed, but has proved to be impractical due to the inefficiency and incompatibility of available enzymes.

However, they say the enzymes discovered in the latest study may finally overcome these problems.

They write: "Their method may enable manufacture of universal red cells, which would substantially reduce pressure on the blood supply."

The new process cannot do anything about another antigen that can trigger an immune response. Blood which carries this antigen is known as rhesus positive.

This means that only rhesus negative blood can be used to create the new type of group O supplies.

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yesteach
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Re: Blood groups "can be converted"
« Reply #1 on: Apr 3^rd, 2007, 7:55pm »

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If this really works.. it would be brilliant...

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Joab
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Re: Blood groups "can be converted"
« Reply #2 on: Apr 3^rd, 2007, 10:20pm »

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I'm Blood Group O, and i don't know why.. but the sound of this is a bit freaky for me.

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Rhune
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Re: Blood groups "can be converted"
« Reply #3 on: Apr 4^th, 2007, 8:51pm »

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I know someone who's a medical researcher, and one of the things he commented to me was that he's working now only with viral cures because he had been shut down a couple times by the money backing drug companies that paid for their labs, after developing potential medicinal cures for a couple things. He said he learned the hard way that the drug companies aren't interested in you developing a cure, because there's no money in it for them. With viral cures they are typically a one time irreversable change, and for the researchers, the engineered viral strains can be patented, protecting their work from being stolen. So, to me this doesn't sound so scary. At least it sounds less scary than finding out cures are being shut down mid-research because they'd be less profitable than long term drugs that merely help treat the symptoms. AIDS is a virus...imagine a separate virus that's been engineered to mutate AIDS into something new that isn't harmful to humans, or that makes it end after a couple weeks like a common cold? I think the possibility is out there and we're barely beginning to crack the codes on some of this stuff.

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yesteach
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Re: Blood groups "can be converted"
« Reply #4 on: Apr 5^th, 2007, 8:31pm »

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i'm not surprised at this.. i've said the same thing about doctors for years, they do just enough to make you feel better, notget well... where's the incentive to keep me healthy? they only make money when i'm sick.. Sad

« Last Edit: Apr 5^th, 2007, 8:32pm by yesteach »

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