New hope for sickle cell patients as UK trial of lab grown red blood cells begins

New hope for sickle cell patients as UK trial of lab grown red blood cells begins Laboratory grown red blood cells have been transfused into volunteers in a world first clinical trial that could help revolutionise treatments for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

The manufactured blood cells were grown from stem cells from donors, which in future could allow donor blood to be expanded into much larger volumes for transfusion. The trial is studying the lifespan of the lab grown cells compared with infusions of standard red blood cells from the same donor. The Guardian

See also:

• RESTORE: Recovery and survival of stem cell originated red cells NHS Blood and Transplant
• First ever clinical trial of laboratory grown red blood cells being transfused into another person underway University of Bristol
• Lab-grown blood given to people in world-first clinical trial BBC News
• Lab-grown blood used for human transfusion in world first The Independent