Abstract

Everyday hospitals use thousands of pints of blood in the United States. This is why it is important for eligible donors to constantly donate. The sad reality is that less than 10% of the U.S. population donates. Researchers are developing ways to make the process of blood donation safe for both donors and recipients. Two major issues were discovered along the way in developing the process of blood transfusion, namely: blood types and passing on diseases. At the time, different blood groupings as well as the ability to pass on a disease from the donor to recipient was unknown. Since then, tests for a donor’s blood grouping, and testing for diseases in donors has been incorporated into the donation process. The next major discovery is the ability to create red blood cells ex vivo, or outside the human body in a sterile culture vessel. There are a few obstacles that scientists are working on. First is the efficiency of this process. Artificially created red blood cell cultures need to grow and produce new cells at a rate sufficient so that they can produce the same amount of red blood cells as there is in a single blood donation. Second, is the cost of this process. They must make this process financially feasible before it can be widely put to use. Research is still being done, but when these obstacles are overcome, it will be a major advancement in meeting the need for blood throughout the world.