In this blog post, we’ll examine the current state and potential of artificial blood development and consider whether it could be a solution to the problem of blood shortages for transfusions.
There are people who lack healthy blood. This includes those who have suffered excessive bleeding due to accidents, as well as patients with leukemia or anemia. In such cases, they must receive healthy blood through transfusions, which is essential for saving lives. However, South Korea’s blood supply is insufficient. While an adequate blood supply should cover at least five days’ worth of demand, South Korea’s average supply is only 3.4 days’ worth. In particular, the supply of Type A and Type O blood—the most common types in South Korea—stands at 3.3 days’ worth and 2.6 days’ worth, respectively, which is even lower than the average, making the problem even more severe.
This shortage of blood for transfusions can sometimes lead to fatal outcomes during surgeries or emergencies. This is because if blood is not supplied immediately to patients who need it, the opportunity to save a life may be lost. Furthermore, with blood donation rates declining recently, the blood shortage problem is expected to become an even greater challenge in the future.
In addition to this shortage of blood for transfusions, the current blood donation and transfusion system faces various other issues, such as infections caused by contaminated blood and the short shelf life of blood products. The risk of infection during transfusion is ever-present, and the short shelf life of blood makes it difficult to secure sufficient supplies in advance.
To address these issues, scientists and researchers have been conducting ongoing research into the development of artificial blood. Artificial blood refers to a liquid that can be injected into the body to perform the functions of blood. Since Max Perutz elucidated the structure of hemoglobin in the 1930s, research has been conducted in various directions, including studies on hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) and the creation of artificial blood using stem cells.
The main advantages of artificial blood are as follows. First, it can be mass-produced. As mentioned earlier, we currently face a severe shortage of blood for transfusions. If artificial blood can be mass-produced, it will help resolve this shortage. Second, a major advantage is that it can be transfused to anyone regardless of blood type. Currently, only people with matching ABO and Rh blood types can receive transfusions, but artificial blood can be used for anyone regardless of blood type, making it particularly useful in emergency situations. Third, it has a long shelf life. While blood for transfusions currently has a very short shelf life of about 5 to 6 weeks, artificial blood is expected to remain viable for up to two years.
However, artificial blood still has many shortcomings that prevent it from serving as a complete alternative. One of the most important functions of blood is to transport oxygen, a role performed by hemoglobin within red blood cells. Artificial blood attempts to transport oxygen using a substance called HBOC (Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carrier) instead of hemoglobin, but it has not yet fully replicated the functions of hemoglobin. Furthermore, all HBOCs developed to date have exhibited severe side effects, limiting their practical application.
Cost remains a major obstacle as well. Developing artificial blood is extremely expensive, and research is often halted due to an inability to cover these costs. For example, the materials required for stem cell-based artificial blood research are extremely expensive, with a single drop costing tens of thousands of dollars. This threatens the sustainability of the research, and the path to commercialization remains long and arduous.
However, artificial blood research has made significant progress recently and has now reached the stage where clinical trials are imminent.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is currently conducting clinical trials, and if efforts to reduce the side effects of HBOC are successful, it could be used for actual blood transfusions. However, this requires substantial research funding, and the interest and support of the government, businesses, and the public are essential. If these efforts are supported, the day when artificial blood is commercialized and saves many lives is not far off.
