Riken team develops infinite RBC production method

Researchers at Japan's Riken BioResource Center have developed a technique to infinitely produce red blood cells using mouse embryonic stem cells. The team, which was led by Yukio Nakamura, chief of cell engineering at the center, said that the method could potentially prevent the risk of tumor development resulting from "abnormal" proliferation techniques used in cellular transplantation.

In the study, reported by the Japanese media, the team cultured eight different types of mouse ES cells, producing three types of proliferative cells that subsequently transform into red blood cells. When these RBCs were transferred into mice suffering from acute anemia the animals' RBC counts returned to normal within five days.

The researchers hope that the technique can be applied to humans in the future, potentially alleviating the perennial problem of the shortage of blood for transfusion. Details of the work were published in the February 6 issue of the US Public Library of Science One journal.