Blood conversion breakthrough: An end to blood group incompatibility problems?

What is your blood group? It's the very first question you are confronted with when you are rushed into the hospital for an immediate blood transfusion.

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But, this may not matter in the near future as an international team of scientists have reported a breakthrough discovery of converting one blood group into another.

The scientist have found enzymes that have the potential to convert blood groups- A, B and AB into group O-negative, which is a universal blood group but is by and large in short supply. The transformed blood can then be safely transplanted into any patient. The new discovery may help alleviate shortages of blood for transfusions.

The research work, led by the University of Copenhagen of converting blood from group A, B or AB to group O, is described in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The research team believes that the enzymes could deal with fly-by-night supplies of blood worldwide, and also guarantee the safety of transfusions.

End to blood typing problems?

People accede to blood type through their parents' genes, and the system of categorizing groups as A, B, AB or O is here since 1900. The people having groups A and B have blood containing one of two diverse sugar molecules that can trigger an immune response. Those in group A have both of them while people in group O have no 'antigens.'

This simply means that the blood groups A, B and AB can only be given to patients with attuned blood, while O can be given to anyone as it is rhesus negative. No doubt, the blood transfusions are life-savers in most of the cases but using incompatible blood during a transfusion puts the patient's life at risk.

So, we did need a solution to the blood group compatibility blood-donor shortages and this new discovery could save millions of people every year who become victims of the scarcity of the matching blood group or incompatible blood usage during a transfusion.

Converting different blood groups to universal O:

In the process, the bacterial enzymes are employed to cut sugar molecules from the surface of red blood cells. The team led by Henrik Clausen did a study on 2,500 extracts from different bacteria and fungi for their ability to remove A and B antigens.

In the study, they discovered two bacteria dubbed Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacterioides fragilis with potentially positive enzymes. The 'B' enzyme was found to be 1,000 times more adept then the coffee-bean B enzyme. The enzymes from both these bacteria were found to be able to remove both A and B antigens from red blood cells.

What researchers are saying about the discovery?

Researchers are saying that the patient trials will be needed before the conversion method can be commercially applied in hospitals. Well, the idea of converting the group by using enzymes was earlier restrained by the incompetence and incompatibility of the available enzymes. But, the newly found enzymes have the potential to overcome those problems.

Downside of the good news:

There is no doubt that scientists have done an impressive job by finding a process for removing the A and B antigens from red blood cells, but there are other antigens too like the Rh D antigen, which can also trigger an immune response on incompatible transfusions. This antigen is carried by rhesus positive blood and cannot by removed by the enzymatic process.

Rhesus negative blood can only be used to produce the new type of group O supplies. Well, just one percent of the Asians are Rh D negative, so the new discovery seems to be of no use to them. They need to sit back and wait for some superior process to solve their blood transfusion problems.

Well, this discovery will certainly improve blood supplies as well enhance the safety of clinical transfusions. Blood shortage is a reality that eternally troubles those patients who are in dire need for it. So, it's good news to hear that scientists have discovered a way to solve their problem.