Universal red blood cells

作者：Mohanty Bimal P^*; Mohanty Sasmita; Parija Subas C

来源：National Academy Science Letters-India, 2008, 31(5-6): 161-169.

• ABO blood group
• erythrocyte
• ECO RBCs
• universal RBCs

The ABO blood group system is the most well-known and medically important blood group system in transfusion medicine. Eliminating the risk for ABO-incompatible transfusion errors and providing enough of the right blood to the patients is an important need that can be achieved by creating a universal blood inventory of universal RBCs. Enzymatic removal of blood group ABO antigens to develop universal red blood cells (RBCs) was a pioneering vision originally proposed in 1980s. Although the feasibility of this approach was demonstrated in clinical trials for group 13 RBCs, a major obstacle in translating this technology to clinical practice was the lack of efficient glycosidase enzymes. In a major breakthrough, Henrik Clausen of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and his co-workers have identified the enzymes glycosidases from two species of bacteria that can do the job quickly and efficiently. These scientists screened 2,500 fungi and bacteria and identified two species, Elizabethkingia meningosepticum and Bacteroides fragilis, which make enzymes that can function like biological scissors to cut off the terminal ends of A and B. These two bacterial enzymes alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidases (EC 3.2.1.49) and alpha-galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.22) are capable of efficient removal of A and B antigens, respectively, at neutral pH with low consumption of recombinant enzymes. The enzymatic conversion processes hold promise for achieving the goal of producing universal RBCs, which would improve the blood supply while enhancing the safety of clinical transfusions.

• 出版日期2008