The medical world has been actively searching for artificial blood substitutes for years. Blood accounts for about 7% of a person’s body weight, and in the event of an accident, severe blood loss can be life-threatening.

The need for artificial blood substitutes has grown both medically and surgically due to the continuous improvements in medical technology, the increased use of blood transfusions, and the growing number of patients requiring blood transfusions.

What is personalized artificial blood?

Developed personalized artificial blood for individual patients is a new concept that has gained popularity in recent years.

Personalized artificial blood aims to eliminate the risks associated with conventional blood transfusions by providing blood that is tailored to each individual patient’s needs. This type of blood substitute is created by using a patient’s own cells and stem cells doctored in a lab to create red blood cells, thus eliminating the need for donors.

The process of creating personalized artificial blood

The process of creating personalized artificial blood starts by taking stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow or peripheral blood. These cells are then modified in the lab to produce red blood cells.

The process is known as ‘reprogramming’ and involves changing the cells’ gene expression to that of a red blood cell.

The process involves reprogramming the stem cells to create red blood cells. The process occurs in four stages, and each stage takes a different amount of time, which may vary between patients. The following are the stages;.

Stem cell isolation: This is the first stage of creating personalized artificial blood. It involves isolating stem cells from the patient’s peripheral blood or bone marrow. These cells play a vital role in creating personalized artificial blood and are the foundation of the process.
Cell reprogramming: In this stage, the stem cells are modified and reprogrammed to produce red blood cells that have all the characteristics of natural blood. The cells are genetically reprogrammed to differentiate into red blood cells.
Red blood cell maturation: In this stage, the red blood cells undergo a maturation process, where they are treated with certain chemicals to produce mature red blood cells like those in natural blood.
Quality control: In this final stage, the personalized artificial blood is checked to ensure that it meets the necessary standards. The test examines the quality, consistency, and safety of the new blood.

The Benefits of personalized artificial blood for individual patients

Personalized artificial blood for individual patients offers numerous benefits, some of which include:.

No risk of viral infections: When a patient receives blood from a donor, there is always the risk of viral infections or blood-borne diseases. With personalized artificial blood, there is no risk of such infections, as the new blood is tailored explicitly for that patient.
No blood type matching: There is no need for blood type matching with personalized artificial blood since the blood is created for that specific patient.
No need for donors: Personalized artificial blood is made using a patient’s cells, eliminating the need to find blood donors.
Reduced risk of transfusion reactions: Personalized artificial blood significantly reduces the risk of transfusion reactions that often occur when mismatched blood is used.
No concerns about the storage of blood: Blood transfusions require strict storage requirements, and in many cases, this can be a significant challenge. With artificial blood, storage requirements are much less stringent, and the new blood can be stored for more extended periods and in various conditions.

The future of personalized artificial blood for individual patients

The future of personalized artificial blood is brighter than ever before. The technique is relatively new, and more research is being conducted every day to improve the process and make it more widely available.

Personalized artificial blood has the potential to revolutionize the medical world by providing a safer alternative to blood transfusions and eliminating the risk of viral infections and transfusion reactions.

The challenges of personalized artificial blood for individual patients

Although personalized artificial blood has numerous advantages, the process still faces a few challenges, some of which include:.

Cost: The process of creating personalized artificial blood is expensive. It involves a lot of time, resources, and personnel, which makes it an expensive procedure.
Time: The process of creating personalized artificial blood can be time-consuming. It can take weeks or even months to create the new blood, depending on the patient’s condition and the stage of the process.
Regulatory approval: Personalized artificial blood for individual patients is still under clinical trials and needs regulatory approval for widespread use in the medical field.

The Bottom Line

Personalized artificial blood for individual patients offers a safer alternative to blood transfusions. The advancement of medical technology means that creating new blood tailored to individual patients is possible.

Although the process is still in the clinical trial stage, the technique shows a lot of promise and could revolutionize the medical world in the future.