Scientists Create Red Blood Cells in Lab from Dog Stem Cells

Topic: Biology

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University created red blood cells in a lab using stem cells from dogs. This breakthrough could help solve the problem of finding compatible blood for transfusions in both humans and animals.

Blood transfusions are crucial in medicine, but there's a shortage of donors and not enough blood banks for animals. A team led by Professor Shingo Hatoya at Osaka Metropolitan University wanted to find a solution. They used stem cells from dogs, which can become any type of cell in the body, to create red blood cells in a lab.

The researchers took these stem cells and made them grow into clusters. Then, they induced the cells to turn into red blood cells. This process is similar to how our bodies naturally make blood cells. The team also used a special tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to add a marker that makes the cells glow green when they express a certain protein.

This allowed them to track and study the development of the red blood cells in real-time. The results showed that over 96% of the cells expressed this protein, which is an important step towards creating functional red blood cells.

Why It Matters

This breakthrough could help solve the problem of finding compatible blood for transfusions in both humans and animals. It also opens up new possibilities for using stem cells to create blood products for human medicine.

Key Facts

• Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University created red blood cells in a lab using stem cells from dogs.
• The team used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to add a marker that makes the cells glow green when they express a certain protein.
• Over 96% of the analyzed cells expressed this protein, which is an important step towards creating functional red blood cells.
• This breakthrough could help solve the problem of finding compatible blood for transfusions in both humans and animals.
• The study was published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine in 2026.

Key Terms

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

Stem cells that can become any type of cell in the body, created from adult cells.

Implications

This breakthrough could help solve the problem of finding compatible blood for transfusions in both humans and animals. It also opens up new possibilities for using stem cells to create blood products for human medicine.