BBC Knowledge AUGUST 2017

LAB-MADE HUMAN

BLOOD IS NOW

“TANTALISINGLY CLOSE”

Now here’s a bloody good piece of research!
A team at Boston Children’s Hospital has generated
blood-forming stem cells in the lab for the first
time, a breakthrough that could enable the
development of more effective treatments for
genetic blood diseases
To create the cells, the team used a combination
of chemical processes and genetic engineering to
coax human pluripotent stem cells – cells capable
of forming any adult cell – to differentiate into
hemogenic endothelium, an embryonic form of
tissue that gives rise to blood stem cells. They then
implanted the resulting tissue into mice. Weeks later,
a small number of the animals began producing
several types of human blood cells. Some mice
were even able to mount a human immune response
after vaccination.
“We’re tantalisingly close to generating bona fide
human blood stem cells in a dish. This is the

culmination of over 20 years of striving,” said

researcher George Daley. “We’re now able

to model human blood function in ‘humanised’

mice. This is a major step forward for our ability

to investigate genetic blood disease.”

Although the cells made from the pluripotent stem

cells are a mix of true blood stem cells and other

cells known as blood progenitor cells, they proved

capable of generating multiple types of human

blood cells when put into mice.

“This step opens up an opportunity to take cells

from patients with genetic blood disorders, use

gene editing to correct their genetic defect, and

make functional blood cells,” said researcher

Ryohichi Sugimura. “This also gives us the potential

to have a limitless supply of blood stem cells

and blood by taking cells from universal donors.

This could potentially augment the blood supply

for patients who need transfusions.”

The lab-produced

blood stem cells can

develop into different

types of blood cell

MEDICINE

IN NUMBERS

50

DEGREES C

The temperature reached

by human mitochondria,

the energy factories found

in our cells.

100

YEARS

The time the human race

has left to colonise another

planet to ensure its survival,

according to physicist

Stephen Hawking.

1.33

x 10

29

KG

The minimum size a star

needs to reach in order to

shine, as recently calculated

by researchers at the

University of Texas

at Austin.

29