Healthcare

February 2008

Riken creates 'safe' red blood cells from ES cells
A team of scientists at Riken research institute has developed technology to efficiently create red blood cells that pose a low cancer risk from ES cells. The method, which has proven effective in mice, could make it possible to someday mass-produce human blood for transfusion. The team, which includes Yukio Nakamura and Takashi Hiroyama of the Riken BioResource Center Cell Engineering Division, intends to conduct research soon using human ES cells and iPS cells. The researchers repeatedly grew eight different types of mouse ES cells to create three types of proliferative cells that change only into red blood cells. Like ES cells, the proliferative cells can divide almost indefinitely when grown in vitro. The cells that were cultured into red blood cells were tested on mice suffering from acute anemia. Within five days of receiving the new cells, the mice's red blood cell counts recovered to normal levels and their symptoms of anemia were reduced. Seven of the eight mice survived. In contrast, of the eight anemic mice that did not receive the treatment, seven died. The use of ES cells carries the risk of cancer, but in half a year of testing on cells derived using the new technique, no malignant tumors were found. (Nikkei Weekly, February 18, 2008)