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The discovery, by researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.,
could one day potentially allow anyone needing blood after multiple rounds
of surgery or chemotherapy, or for blood disorders such as anemia, to have a
backup supply of blood created from a tiny patch of their own skin —
eliminating the risk of their body’s immune system rejecting blood from a
donor.
Researchers predict the lab-grown blood could be ready for testing in humans
within two years.
The achievement, published Sunday in the journal Nature, raises the
possibility of personalizing blood production for patients for the first
time.
"This is a very important discovery. I think it represents a seminal
contribution" to the rapidly evolving field of stem-cell research, said
Michael Rudnicki, scientific director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network and
director of the Regenerative Medicine Program at the Ottawa Hospital
Research Institute.
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