Changing all blood types to O possible?
Blood types differ because of an extra sugar molecule bound to the surface of blood cells. People who are type A have one kind, B another and AB both. Blood type O people have neither. That is the reason why people with type O can donate to anyone.
‘We produced a mutant enzyme that is very efficient at cutting off the sugars in A and B blood, and is much more proficient at removing the subtypes of the A-antigen that the parent enzyme struggles with,’ said David Kwan, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry.
However, to be applicable, the enzyme’s ability to remove the majority of antigens in Type A and Type B blood involves steps towards achievement. ‘The concept is not new but until now we needed so much of the enzyme to make it work that it was impractical,’ added Steve Withers, a professor in the Department of Chemistry. ‘Now I’m confident that we can take this a whole lot further.’
This research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. – The Health Site
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
