A clinical trial on the reuse of expired blood begins in Japan

Nara Medical University will begin a clinical trial in spring 2025 to test the reuse of artificial red blood cells made from donated blood that has passed its expiration date and would normally be discarded.

A research team at a university in Nara Prefecture wants to make artificial cells practically usable by around 2030. These cells are of particular interest in natural disasters and on remote islands that are difficult to reach. If successful, this would be the world's first practical application of such cells.

Artificial red blood cells are made by extracting hemoglobin, which carries oxygen, from donated blood and covering it with an artificial lipid membrane, the team said. The artificial cells are purple in color, different from the usual red color of blood, because they are made in such a way that they do not oxidize until they are used.