Researchers at the University of Copenhagen claim to have found two unique glycosidase enzymes in bacteria that can convert blood types A, B, and AB into the universal type O. It was also found that the enzymes can remove sugar molecules from the red blood cells, which provoke an immune reaction in the recipient.
The report, which is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology said new process requires just a small amount of two previously unknown enzymes and then efficiently removing the A and B agglutinogen.
The blood group of a person is determined by the type of a molecule, called agglutinogen, found on the surface of red blood cells. Dr. Henrik Clausen, the lead researcher said, "The enzymatic conversion processes we describe hold promise for achieving the goal of producing universal red blood cells, which would improve the blood supply while enhancing the safety of clinical transfusions."
Researchers are currently focusing on new clinical trials to determine the safety of the blood generated through the new method. Experts believe that by the use of new method, the enzymes present in the bacteria removes the A and B antigens from the blood thus making it safe to transfuse in other patients.
Though the process has been under work since 1980s, it could not be converted into practical use because of the inefficiency of enzyme reaction. However, after studying over 2,500 extracts of bacteria and fungi researchers now say that the the present enzyme is 1,000 times more efficient than the B enzyme that was thought to be most promising during 1980s.
