New Protocol Advances Toward Lab-Made Universal Red Blood Cells

Researchers report a new way of generating the cells from induced pluripotent stem cells in hopes they will one day be used in blood transfusions.

Written byDiana Kwon

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ABOVE: A red blood cell generated from a human induced pluripotent stem cell
BENOIT MALLERET, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY, YONG LOO LIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a steep drop in blood donations, leading blood centers in the US to raise the alarm about critical shortages, laying bare the fragility of the current blood supply. For years, scientists anticipating disruptions to the blood supply—due to issues such as emerging pathogens that can be transmitted through blood or the rapidly aging population, which could drastically reduce the number of potential donors in the future—have been working on developing ways to produce blood in factories in order to provide an alternative source of the vital substance.

In a study published December 10 in Stem Cell Reports, Steve Oh, the director of the Stem Cell Bioprocessing group at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in ...

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Meet the Author

Diana Kwon
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Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.
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