Japan trials ‘Universal Artificial Blood’ that could revolutionise emergency care
The initiative, led by Professor Hiromi Sakai’s laboratory at Nara Medical University, began in March with initial doses administered to human volunteers, according to Newsweek
Japan has commenced clinical trials of a universal artificial blood that could transform emergency and chronic healthcare by addressing critical global shortages.
The initiative, led by Professor Hiromi Sakai's laboratory at Nara Medical University, began in March with initial doses administered to human volunteers, according to Newsweek.
The experimental blood, capable of being used across all blood types and stored for up to two years, is designed to overcome long-standing limitations of traditional blood transfusion systems—namely blood type mismatches, infection risks, short shelf life, and inadequate stockpiling for emergencies.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than 118 million blood donations are collected annually, with 40 per cent coming from high-income countries that represent just 16 per cent of the global population.
This imbalance leaves many lower-income regions struggling with limited access to life-saving transfusions, especially in surgical, trauma, and maternal care settings. Universal artificial blood could significantly reduce preventable deaths in such scenarios.
In the current phase of the trial, 100 to 400 millilitres of the artificial blood were administered to 16 healthy adult volunteers. The research team will proceed to assess the efficacy and safety of the treatment, provided no severe side effects are reported.
Sakai's lab stated on its website that the artificial blood could eliminate several risks inherent in traditional transfusions, including "possibility of infection, blood type mismatching, immunological response, and short shelf life which is insufficient for stockpiling for emergency situations."
The synthetic blood, termed haemoglobin vesicles, is manufactured by extracting haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component, from expired donor blood and encasing it in a lipid shell.
These vesicles emulate the function of red blood cells, efficiently transporting oxygen without carrying any blood type markers, making them universally compatible and virus-free.
This development builds upon a 2022 Japanese trial that confirmed haemoglobin vesicles could effectively carry oxygen like natural red blood cells. While minor side effects such as fever and rash were observed in some participants during that trial, they resolved quickly.
