UK Researchers "First Human Administration of Lab-Cultured Blood"

"Clinical Trial Underway Administering Red Blood Cells Cultured from Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Two Patients"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] British researchers are conducting a clinical trial in which blood cultured in the laboratory using blood stem cells is directly administered to the human body for the first time ever, BBC reported on the 7th.

Professor Ashley Toy's team at the University of Bristol in the UK announced that they are conducting a clinical trial in which at least 10 healthy volunteers receive 5 to 10 mL of normal blood and laboratory-cultured blood over four months. It is known that the first two participants are already taking part in the clinical trial.

The research team is studying the laboratory cultivation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to the entire body, aiming to produce rare blood types that are difficult to supply.

Professor Toy explained, "In the future, we hope to produce as much blood as possible," adding, "Our vision is to continuously produce cultured blood from donated blood using machines installed in offices."

The cultured blood administered to clinical trial participants is tagged with medical radioactive markers to track how long these red blood cells function inside the body.

Farooq Shah, Director of Transplantation Medicine at the NHS Blood and Transplant, said, "This world-leading technology will lay the foundation for producing blood that people with diseases such as sickle cell anemia can safely receive transfusions from."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.