Blood type conversions now possible

Blood type conversions now possible

news.bbc.co.uk

Scientists have developed a way of converting one blood group into another.

The technique potentially enables blood from groups A, B and AB to be converted into group O negative, which can be safely transplanted into any patient.

The method, which makes use of newly discovered enzymes, may help relieve shortages of blood for transfusions.

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This is amazing news, and a breakthrough for medicine everywhere. It means that the blood someone donates can be useful in almost anyone.

The conversion of blood types is not new, but the efficiency of this technique is new.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by supercheetah


The conversion of blood types is not new, but the efficiency of this technique is new.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I would have thought it to be a very new development. I have never heard of blood conversion. I thought that all of the fuss about not having enough blood was centered around not being able to convert blood types. This sounds like extraordinary news to me.

Originally posted by SpeakerofTruth

Originally posted by supercheetah


The conversion of blood types is not new, but the efficiency of this technique is new.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I would have thought it to be a very new development. I have never heard of blood conversion. I thought that all of the fuss about not having enough blood was centered around not being able to convert blood types.

This sounds like extraordinary news to me.

Put simply, the conversion techniques used before this were extraordinarily inefficient that it was just easier to get the right type from people. Plus, there were some problems with incompatibilities between enzymes or something (I don't really understand this part of the problem). Apparently, blood conversion has hitherto been limited to converting type B to type O, and that's it.

All I know about this new technique is that it overcomes the problems blood conversion had before.

This is a great advance, but unfortunately they haven't yet solved the RH negative factor, so this blood is not for everyone. Still, it has a lot of promise and this development should be watched.

that could turn out to be bad for everyone somehow i dont think thats going to work....idonno why but that just sounds like something we shouldnt be trying to do engineer blood....it just sounds dangerous

Originally posted by justanothergangster
that could turn out to be bad for everyone somehow i dont think thats going to work....idonno why but that just sounds like something we shouldnt be trying to do engineer blood....it just sounds dangerous

This blood is being converted, not engineered. That said, so what if it's engineered? Blood has to be screened for diseases like AIDS, HepB, etc. anyway, so I don't see the problem you have.

Besides, this is going to go through trials just like any proposed medical treatment. Most of the significant problems, if there are any, ought to be caught during those trials. I can't see how there could be any trials because all this is doing is changing antigens (those things the immune system uses to identify self and "other").

Blood transfusions have been around for a while, and this is no different, except it lends a flexibility to them that we haven't had before.

theres a huge difference between testing for disease and bacteria....and changing it to something it wasnt....and if something does go wrong what do you do?....its n the bloodstream its much to late for damage control youd slip into septic shock and unless they can get you hooked up to a dialisys sometime in the next 10 minutes youd be dead.....its like putting car fuel in a jet just because its basically the same thing doesnt mean its going to work.......and blood is something that theres no second chance.....no fixing it later.....oh and converting blood would be considered GENETIC ENGINEERING

Actually no, as no DNA gets altered in this process. This has nothing to do with genetic engineering at all.

im not trying to argue the meaning of the word....but.....engineering involving genetic material....such as blood organs tissue cells any of that is genetic engineering.....but the words i used arent as important as what i said...but i just wouldnt feel comfortable with getting imitation a+ blood ide still look for clinics and places that use "pure" blood...im just saying do wat u want but when your body rejects the blood theyre aint no coming back

This blood is treated with an enzymatic process. An Enzyme is simply a catalyst or more specifically, any of numerous proteins or conjugated proteins produced by living organisms and functioning as biochemical catalysts.

Is Beer Genetic engineering? Is laundry soap? Is meat tenderizer, bread, digestion, cheese, paper? The list goes on.

In creating this universal donor blood, no genetic material, or DNA is changed. Altered blood products are quite common, like Plasma transfusions, or white blood cell transfusions, etc. This is just another blood product that has been treated with enzymes to improve it's acceptance into the body. In fact, ANY transfusion, other than your own blood, introduces foreign genetic material into your blood stream.

There is nothing to fear with enzyme treated blood.