Japan's 'no-match' artificial blood may end shortages

No blood group matching required, no infection risk, no expiry for months. Researchers in Japan have developed artificial blood that has the potential to end global blood shortage and transform how the world handles emergencies, especially in cases of mass casualties and rural surgeries.

The innovation comes from Professor Hiromi Sakai and his team at Nara Medical University, who have created stable, virus-free artificial red blood cells now undergoing clinical trials. If all goes according to plan, this breakthrough could be ready for real-world use by 2030.

A recent Lancet report showed India has one of the world’s highest blood shortages, with lack of awareness, sub-par infrastructure and a chronic shortage of donors worsening the crisis. So, the idea of a blood substitute could be life changing in such a scenario.



What is artificial blood?

It isn’t a full replica of human blood as it doesn’t have white blood cells or platelets. But it does what’s most vital in an emergency — carry oxygen. These lab-made blood cells mimic real ones, stay stable at room temperature, and are made using expired donated blood that would otherwise be discarded. “They are also expected to respond to diseases and surgical procedures that cannot be treated by blood transfusions, and to unmet medical needs,” says Sakai’s lab website.

The artificial red blood cells were developed by putting purified haemoglobin into thin lipid-based structures, forming haemoglobin vesicles (HbVs). These vesicles are just 250 nanometres wide — small enough to flow through capillaries, just like natural red blood cells do.

Unlike the red colour of blood, these artificial cells have a purplish hue as they do not oxidise until used. HbVs don’t have blood type and don’t carry infection risks. They are made from expired red blood cells, or even from animal or lab-sourced haemoglobin. In essence, it’s a purified, shelf-stable oxygen delivery system — without complications of blood transfusions.

Is it better than the real thing?

Artificial blood (called NMU-HbV) offers several benefits over traditional blood donations. For starters, it rules out the need for compatibility testing, making it ideal for emergency situations. “When a blood transfusion is urgently needed, some time is lost trying to determine the patient’s blood type. With the artificial red blood cells, there’s no need to worry about blood types,” Sakai told Japan Times. Also, the blood can be stored at room temperature for up to two years, far exceeding the short shelf life (around 42 days) of donated blood.

After completing successful safety tests in animals in early 2019, researchers began the first human trial in Oct 2020 at Hokkaido University. Healthy adult men were given 10ml, 50ml and 100 ml doses in three separate groups. Some participants had mild fever or discomfort from the injection, but those were short-lived. Blood tests, heart checks, and other health indicators were normal. The trial was approved by Japan’s drug authority and the university’s ethics committee.