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Almost everyone believes that the blood type of a person will remain the same for the rest of his life. But this assumption was wrong. With a simple method, a doctor may change the types of blood groups.
The breakthrough could be a solution to the problem of blood shortages by boosting the supply of O blood can be given to anyone. In an article in the journal Nature Biotechnology, an international team describes how they can change the blood of type A, B or AB blood into type O.
Simple sugar molecules on the surface of red blood cells, called antigen determining a person's blood type. One type of antigen will determine the blood type A, while other antigens determine the blood group B, and one who had both types of antigen blood group AB. People who do not have the blood group O antigen, and approximately 40 percent of the population.
The immune system recognizes the antigen alone, but considers other types of antigen as a foreign invader. That is why
people with blood type A can not accept transfusions from people with blood type B. The immune system will attack the new blood as a foreign object, thus making the blood recipients become seriously ill. Because type O blood has no antigens, then it can be accepted by the immune system of people with blood type A, B, and AB.
Researchers led by Prof Henrik Clausen of the University of Copenhagen checked 2,500 types of fungi and bacteria to search for proteins that are useful. After a long search, known two types of bacteria, namely Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacterioides fragilis, produces an enzyme capable of releasing antigens that determine blood type A and B blood cells.
"It's a fairly simple process. The main obstacle is finding the right enzyme so it can take just one molecule of sugar and leave other molecules on the cell surface remains intact," said Prof Clausen as reported by Boston.com.
Bacteroides fragilis will eliminate antigen B, while Elizabethkingia meningosepticum can eliminate antigen A. With this method, the doctor may change the patient's blood group A, B, and AB into group O blood, however, this technology still requires further research.
"This is a good technology because it can increase the supply of blood group O. But the conversion of blood groups is not as simple as one might imagine. The fact is, when a cell is modified, can cause risks and unexpected changes," said Steve Sloan, director of transfusion medicine at Boston children children 's Hospital.
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