Chinese scientists have developed a type of universal blood cells using an engineering method, that gives hope to people with rare blood groups who require blood transfusions in medical emergencies. Human blood cells are defined by the antigens on the red blood cell surface and Rhesus D (RhD) is considered as crucial antigens. Red blood cells containing RhD are often classified as RhD-positive and those who don’t are RhD-negative. However, the supply of RhD-negative blood always faces critical shortages in medical emergencies and the positive-to-negative transformation of the RhD antigen remains a big challenge. Using this method, scientists have engineered artificial RhD-negative red blood cells and achieved safe blood transfusions in mice and rabbits. Scientists are now focusing on more research before they implement these engineered RhD-negative red blood cells in humans.
