Scientists in Maryland believe they are on the verge of creating artificial blood that could save thousands of lives.
Researchers and scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore are creating artificial blood by extracting hemoglobin from expired blood and then enclosing the protein in a bubble of fat, which replicates red blood cells.
Dr. Allan Doctor shared that the artificial blood is “designed so that at the moment it’s needed, a medic can mix it with water, and within a minute, you have blood.”
Currently, the team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is using artificial blood in tests with rabbits.
Scientists are developing artificial blood that could save lives in emergencies – A research team has successfully tested a blood substitute in animals, and human trials may not be far off. The powdered blood could help medics respond faster in a crisis.… https://t.co/uw7cqJLmRM
— Viking Resistance (@VikingFBR) July 24, 2025
Per NPR:
Tens of thousands of people bleed to death each year in the United States before they can get to a hospital. That’s because ambulances, medical helicopters and military medics can’t routinely carry blood, which would go bad too fast without adequate refrigeration.
So scientists have been on a quest to develop artificial blood that could be stored in powdered form and reconstituted by medics on the spot to save lives.
At the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where some of this research is being conducted, a white rabbit lies on the floor of a cage. It’s in a “special intensive care unit that we’ve created for our rabbit resuscitation,” says Dr. Allan Doctor, a scientist at the school.
Doctor’s team just drained blood from the animal to simulate what happens to a person who’s hemorrhaging from an injury, such as from a car crash or battlefield wound. “This rabbit is still in shock. You can see he’s lying very still. It’s as if he was at the scene of an accident,” says Doctor. “If we didn’t do anything, it would die.”
But Doctor and his team are going to save this rabbit today. They’re going to fill his veins with something they hope will finally enable them to achieve a goal that has stymied researchers for decades: developing safe and effective artificial blood. “Good bunny,” says Danielle Waters, a technician on Doctor’s team, as she gently lifts the rabbit and starts infusing him with three big syringes of artificial blood.
The United States isn’t the only country looking to crack the code when it comes to making artificial blood.
Professor Hiromi Sakai’s laboratory in Japan has already launched clinical trials using artificial blood.
Artificial blood could reduce preventable deaths in settings where limited supply costs millions of lives in low-income countries.
Source: Newsweek https://t.co/HI77dSPM9E
— Brooke Lynch (@BrookeLyn1980) June 3, 2025
Sakai’s laboratory is creating blood that’s usable for all blood types and can be stored for up to two years.
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