Gut bacteria can make blood types compatible

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What if it were possible to make blood types compatible? Last Monday (29), science showed that this is closer to becoming reality than we imagine: a team from the Technical University of Denmark and Lund University (Switzerland) mixed enzymes from intestinal bacteria to generate this compatibility.

When mixed with red blood cells, enzymes from intestinal bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila were able to remove specific sugars that make up the A and B antigens in ABO blood groups. The news can be found in the Nature Microbiology.

The reason it is necessary to remove the A and B antigens to create universal donor blood is because they can trigger potentially fatal immune reactions when transfused into mismatched recipients.

As the study says, the bacteria in question feed by breaking down the mucus that covers the surface of the intestine. The enzymes are exceptionally efficient, since the complex sugars on the surface of the intestinal mucosa bear chemical similarity to those found on the surface of blood cells.

The discovery comes from an analysis of 24 enzymes, which scientists then used to process hundreds of blood samples.

universal blood

“Universal blood will create more efficient use of donor blood and will also prevent the administration of ABO-incompatible transfusions by mistake, which can lead to potentially fatal consequences for the recipient,” says study coordinator Professor Martin L. Olsson , in a statement made available by the institution involved.

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“When we can create ABO universal donor blood, we will simplify the logistics of transporting and administering safe blood products while minimizing blood waste.”

Those involved hope to make further progress throughout the study, which should last at least another three and a half years.

The concept must also be tested in controlled patient trials before it can be considered for commercial production and clinical use.

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Compatible blood types

The discovery of a technique that could make blood types compatible in the future is extremely promising and could solve many of the challenges currently faced in blood transfusion.

The technique could potentially eliminate the need to find compatible donors, as donated blood could be converted to a universally compatible type.

If this technique using enzymes from intestinal bacteria proves effective and safe, it could revolutionize the practice of transfusion medicine, allowing for faster and safer transfusions. Of course, we are talking about a reality that is still distant, but it is already very interesting for science that there is this hope of making blood types compatible.

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Source: Nature Microbiology, DTU