With a huge shortage of human blood for transfusions, a new development in synthetic blood may help ease the pressure on blood banks, according to reports.
A team of researchers of the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania, has created a recipe for artificial blood, and the preliminary tests have proven encouraging.
The team, led by 39-year-old Professor Radu Silaghi-Dumitrescu, has been doing research to create the artificial blood for six years, says The Independent Balkan News Agency.
The blood is made of water, salt, albumin and a protein called hemerythrin, which is extracted from marine worms which makes the artificial blood stress resistant.
The lead researcher pointed out the tests on mice will continue until proven there is not toxicity at all, before any attempt to use it on human beings.
Success in trials over the next two years will lead the team to publish their results and Silaghi-Dumitrescu has confirmed that he will seek a patent on the formula, says science blog I Fucking Love Science.
According to the report, earlier this year, a Scottish laboratory was granted permission to begin human trials for synthetic blood derived from adult stem cells.
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