Masks create universal blood

Chinese scientists are developing a new approach to create “universal” blood: red blood cells (RBCs) that can be transfused into any patient, regardless of the patient's or recipient's blood group.

Blood groups are characterised by the presence (or absence) of various proteins known as antigens on the surface of RBCs, the most well-known of which form the ABO system and the Rhesus D (RhD) system. One consequence of the existence of these groups is that blood mismatching can occur when an incompatible blood group is used for transfusion. The recipient’s antibodies recognise the antigens on the donor RBCs as being foreign and attack the cells – with potentially fatal results.

Several approaches have been investigated in the past to strip RBCs of their antigen identity, but each of these methods has had its downfalls. Ruikang Tang and co-workers, from Zheijiang University, have used a simple method to mask the ABO group antigens by chemically modifying the RBC surface with polydopamine (PDA), a mimic of the bioadhesive produced by the mussel Mytilus edulis.

This article provides a link to coverage by Chemistry World