ENZYMES OPEN NEW PATH TO UNIVERSAL DONOR BLOOD

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

Researchers have discovered enzymes that are able to remove specific sugars that make up the A and B antigens in the human ABO blood groups when mixed with medicine blood cells. The researchers are close to being able to produce universal blood from group B donors, but there is still more work to be done to convert the more complex group A blood type. There is now a higher need for donor blood due to a larger proportion of the population being elderly and more patients undergoing blood-intensive medical procedures. Successfully converting A or B blood types into universal donor blood would markedly reduce the logistics and costs currently associated with storing four different blood types and increase the supply of donor blood by reducing waste.