Complete Red Blood Cell Bioreactor

The cultivation of blood cells was put on stream

Anna Obraztsova, N+1

Biologists have come up with a way to produce viable red blood cells in vitro in quantities suitable for clinical use. To do this, they created an "immortal" line of erythrocyte progenitor cells. Article by Trakarnsanga et al. An immortalized adult human erythroid line facilitates sustainable and scalable generation of functional red cells published in the journal Nature Communications.

Previously, red blood cells were tried to be obtained by differentiating stem cells obtained from donors. Such cells are pluripotent (capable of differentiating into any type of cells in the body), therefore, it is necessary to resort to complex manipulations to obtain red blood cells. This method works, but it gives a small number of cells, which is why you have to take blood from donors many times.

Another approach is to use not pluripotent cells, but unipotent cells – capable of differentiating into only one type of cell. If you cultivate unipotent precursors of erythrocytes, you don't have to worry about controlling their differentiation. However, unlike stem cells, the number of divisions of such cells is limited, so they need to be immortalized – modified so that they divide indefinitely.

This approach was taken up by scientists from the University of Bristol. They took bone marrow cells and genetically modified them by adding human papillomavirus genes that allow the cell to divide indefinitely. Then the authors of the work induced the transition of cells into the precursors of erythrocytes. The course of differentiation of the new cell line, called BEL-A (Bristol Erythroid Line Adult), does not differ from the corresponding stages of development of pluripotent cells. Differences in the morphology of erythrocytes were also not found.

If the clinical trials are successful, the grown red blood cells will become a valuable material for transfusions. This will reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, and will also help, first of all, patients with rare blood groups. Lines of immortalized precursors can be created for any blood type.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  27.03.2017