The Long Quest for Artificial Blood (newyorker.com) 18
Scientists are making significant advances in developing artificial blood substitutes, with two promising approaches emerging in 2025, the New Yorker reports. At the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Blood Oxygen Transport and Hemostasis, researchers are testing ErythroMer, a synthetic nanoparticle that mimics red blood cells' oxygen-carrying capabilities. Simultaneously, the UK's National Health Service is conducting the first human trials of lab-grown blood cells.
These developments address critical blood shortages - of the 38% of Americans eligible to donate, less than 3% do so regularly. Traditional donated blood also has significant limitations: platelets last only 5 days, red blood cells 42 days, and all require careful refrigeration and blood-type matching. DARPA awarded $46 million in early 2023 to develop ErythroMer, seeing potential for battlefield medicine where traditional blood storage isn't feasible.
The synthetic blood can be stored as a powder and reconstituted when needed. There are still a lot of challenges, the report adds. The lab-grown blood currently costs about $75,000 per syringe compared to around $200 for a pint of donated blood, and production is limited to small quantities.
These developments address critical blood shortages - of the 38% of Americans eligible to donate, less than 3% do so regularly. Traditional donated blood also has significant limitations: platelets last only 5 days, red blood cells 42 days, and all require careful refrigeration and blood-type matching. DARPA awarded $46 million in early 2023 to develop ErythroMer, seeing potential for battlefield medicine where traditional blood storage isn't feasible.
The synthetic blood can be stored as a powder and reconstituted when needed. There are still a lot of challenges, the report adds. The lab-grown blood currently costs about $75,000 per syringe compared to around $200 for a pint of donated blood, and production is limited to small quantities.
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That's basically what they do in China with the organs but the people would live through blood donation.
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but the people would live through blood donation
Not if you do it well enough.
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My inner vampire senses were tingling. (Score:4, Funny)
An artificial blood you say? Hmm. Finally, the vampires can come out of hiding.
Fucking Sookie.
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It's Morbin' time!
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Why can't we "grow" blood in a lab? (Score:2)
Hoping someone with more knowledge can explain why, when we can grow *MEAT* in a lab, we can't just "grow" blood, which on the surface seems like it would be a much simpler thing to make.
Re:Why can't we "grow" blood in a lab? (Score:4, Informative)
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You mean, like this, from the summary?
the UK's National Health Service is conducting the first human trials of lab-grown blood cells
Well, to answer your question, we can, but...
The lab-grown blood currently costs about $75,000 per syringe compared to around $200 for a pint of donated blood, and production is limited to small quantities.
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When you grow meat, it's for people to eat rather than inject. Even so it needs a lot of work.
The "meat" (synthetic) that's intended to be implanted (say, replacement kidney) is both extremely expensive and not all that successful.
currently costs about $75,000 per syringe (Score:2)
Market (Score:2)
The ban on selling blood ensures a tiny supply. It didn't used to be this way in the US.
Hey, let's make surgeons volunteer too! Charging for doctor services is just "unseemly".
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The ban on selling blood ensures a tiny supply. It didn't used to be this way in the US.
Hey, let's make surgeons volunteer too! Charging for doctor services is just "unseemly".
I donate my blood and those ass-hats turn around and sell it for $200! I'm outraged! (stomps away unaware what that $200 really is)