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Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

tokyoweekender.com

61–68 of 68 posts

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#61

The artificial blood is created by extracting hemoglobin — a protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells — from expired donor blood. It is then encased in a protective shell to create stable, virus-free artificial red blood cells. As these artificial cells have no blood type, there is no need for compatibility testing. Blood-derived synthetic. Still cool, but continues to…

Seems as if the long shelf life vs 42 days for human blood is the biggest advantage. You can use blood about to expire to make this, and it will last 2-5 years more

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#62
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Liquid breathing has always sounded horrible to me, wouldn't it feel like you're drowning constantly?

For the first time in my life, I now have an apt analogy for having systemd on my servers.

It's like installing systemd-breatherd on your lungs.

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#64

When I saw "compatible with all blood types", I thought it was another of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_substitute#Perfluorocarb... "full synthetic" ones, of which one is already in active use in Mexico and Russia.

"PFC solutions can carry oxygen so well that mammals, including humans, can survive breathing liquid PFC solution, called liquid breathing."

Isn't that the stuff they used in the movie "The Abyss"?

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#65

"Three groups of four healthy male volunteers aged 20 to 50 received a single intravenous injection " Tested in 12 people, once. Hmm... "The artificial blood is created by extracting hemoglobin — a protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells — from donor blood" So needs blood as a raw material.

You're leaving out the following statement that make it clear it wasn't "once".

- "in increasing amounts, up to 100 milliliters."

They went through a process of increasing the dosage and monitoring the subjects.

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#66
post #60
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. It's an ethics issue, so it doesn't mean that it's wrong per se. And the pro-life activists certainly have a similar argument. They're also welcome to holding it, as long as they don't impose it on others.

I think a lot of the HN crowd would argue that the pro-life belief on stem cell research is emphatically NOT welcome. So there is an element of hypocrisy here.

And why is this bad? I also disagree with pro-lifers. Especially about research restrictions they want to impose on others. It can be argued that such a viewpoint is too radical and maximalistic.

But as long as they themselves just stay away from stem-cells derived products, then it's their own personal choice. I also have no problems with, for example, Jehovah Witnesses that refuse blood-derived products.

If they have an ethics code, they are welcome to follow it, as long as they don't try to impose it on others.

In this particular case, accommodating even a maximalistic vegan position was not a big deal (just use hemoglobin from plants), so why not do it?

Re: Japanese scientists develop artificial blood compatible with all blood types

#67

Interesting to see. There's been some other efforts in this space, from blood products derived to chemically derived (e.g. perflurocarbons, which carry many multiples of what hemoglobin can carry, oxygen-wise). There's definitely a need for a safe, shelf stable blood substitute. Though, I'd argue that this isn't artificial blood , it's artificially replacing only the oxygen carrying role of blood -- there's nothing i…

I think most transfusions after blood loss are also only red blood cells, so all these other functions are not transferred.

Transfusions can be whole blood, plasma, platelets, RBCs, etc. in addition to saline or electrolyte solutions.
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