India Blood Bank

Blood donations may one day be a thing of the past thanks to the creation of the first functional red blood cells grown in the lab. The cells were grown from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

“You wouldn’t have to worry about shortages because you could create as many as you want,” says Robert Lanza, chief scientist at Advanced Cell Technology, the company that grew the red blood cells in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The breakthrough raises the prospect of mass-producing supplies of the “universal donor” blood type O-negative, which is prized because it can be safely transfused into any patient, whatever their blood group. This type of blood is in short supply - around 8% of Caucasians have it, and just 0.3% of Asians.

Making blood from a few ESC lines instead of obtaining it from countless donors may also help to stop the spread of disease, as it is easier to ensure such artficial blood is free of pathogens such as HIV and the viruses that cause hepatitis.

To create the red blood cells, Lanza and his collaborators at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and at the University of Illinois in Chicago exposed cultures of human ESCs to a sequence of nutrients and growth factors. This turned them first into haemangioblasts, which are precursors to blood cells, and then into mature red blood cells.

Normally, people produce about 100 billion white blood cells a day. The number of white blood cells in a given volume of blood is expressed as cells per microliter of blood.

The total white blood cell count normally ranges between 4,000 and 11,000 cells per microliter. The proportion of each of the five major types of white blood cells and the total number of cells of each type can also be determined in a given volume of blood.

Too few or too many white blood cells indicates a disorder. Leukopenia, a decrease in the number of white blood cells to fewer than 4,000 cells per microliter of blood, makes people more susceptible to infections.

Leukocytosis, an increase in the number of white blood cells to more than 11,000 cells per microliter of blood, may result from the normal response of the body to help fight an infection.

However, an increase in the number of white blood cells can also result when the regulation of white blood cell development is disrupted and immature or abnormal cells are released into the blood.

Some white blood cell disorders involve only one of the five types of white blood cells. Other disorders may involve a few types together or all five types. Disorders of neutrophils and disorders of lymphocytes are the most common. Disorders that involve monocytes and eosinophils are less common, and disorders involving basophils are rare.

Whenever a germ or infection enters the body, the white blood cells snap to attention and race toward the scene of the crime.

The white blood cells are continually on the lookout for signs of disease. When a germ does appear, the white blood cells have a variety of ways by which they can attack.

Some will produce protective antibodies that will overpower the germ. Others will surround and devour the bacteria.
White blood cells

A type of immune cell. Most white blood cells are made in the bone marrow and are found in the blood and lymph tissue. White blood cells help the body fight infections and other diseases. Granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes are white blood cells. Also called leukocyte and WBC.

The white blood cells have a rather short life cycle, living from a few days to a few weeks. A drop of blood can contain anywhere from 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells at a time. If an invading infection fights back and persists, that number will significantly increase.

A consistently high number of white blood cells is a symptom of Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. A Leukemia patient may have as many as 50,000 white blood cells in a single drop of blood.

White blood cells (leukocytes) are an important part of the body’s defense against infectious organisms and foreign substances. To defend the body adequately, a sufficient number of white blood cells must receive a message that an infectious organism or foreign substance has invaded the body, get to where they are needed, and then kill and digest the harmful organism or substance (see Biology of the Immune System: Cells and see Biology of the Immune System: Lymphatic System: Helping Defend Against Infection

Two types of blood vessels carry blood throughout our bodies: The arteries carry oxygenated blood (blood that has received oxygen from the lungs) from the heart to the rest of the body. The blood then travels through the veins back to the heart and lungs, where it receives more oxygen.

As the heart beats, you can feel blood traveling through the body at pulse points — like the neck and the wrist — where large, blood-filled arteries run close to the surface of the skin.

The blood that flows through this network of veins and arteries is called whole blood, and it contains three types of blood cells:

1. red blood cells (RBCs)
2. white blood cells (WBCs)
3. platelets

White Blood Cells is the third album by american garage rock band The White Stripes, released in 2001.

Considered the band’s commercial breakthrough, White Blood Cells peaked at number 61 on the Billboard 200, going Gold and selling over 500,000 units. The album also reached number 55 in the United Kingdom, being bolstered in both territories by the Fell in Love With a Girl single and its Lego-animation music video. Stylus magazine rated it the fifteenth greatest album of 2000-2005 while Pitchfork Media ranked it ninth on their list of the top 100 albums from 2000-2004.

In babies and young children, blood cells are made within the bone marrow (the soft tissue inside our bones) of lots of bones throughout the body. But, as kids get older, blood cells are made mostly in the bone marrow of the vertebrae (the bones of the spine), ribs, pelvis, skull, sternum (the breastbone), and parts of the humerus (the upper arm bone) and femur (the thigh bone).

The cells travel through the circulatory system suspended in a yellowish fluid called plasma. Plasma is 90% water and contains nutrients, proteins, hormones, and waste products. Whole blood is a mixture of blood cells and plasma.

Red blood cells perform the most important blood duty. A single drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells which are constantly traveling through your body delivering oxygen and removing waste. If they weren’t, your body would slowly die.

Red blood cells are red only because they contain a protein chemical called hemoglobin which is bright red in color. Hemoglobin contains the element Iron, making it an excellent vehicle for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide. As blood passes through the lungs, oxygen molecules attach to the hemoglobin. As the blood passes through the body’s tissue, the hemoglobin releases the oxygen to the cells. The empty hemoglobin molecules then bond with the tissue’s carbon dioxide or other waste gases, transporting it away.

Over time, the red blood cells get worn out and eventually die. The average life cycle of a red blood cell is 120 days. Your bones are continually producing new blood cells, replenishing your supply. The blood itself, however, is re-circulated throughout your body, not being remade all of the time.

Since the human body is continually making more blood, it is safe for healthy adults to donate blood. The blood is then stored for use in emergency situations. Initially after giving blood, the donor may feel some momentary lightheadedness due to the loss of oxygen-rich red blood cells and blood sugar. The body quickly stabilizes itself.

The primary function of red blood cells, or erythrocytes, is to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. Hemoglobin (Hgb) is an important protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of our body.

The primary function of white blood cells, or leukocytes, is to fight infection. There are several types of white blood cells and each has its own role in fighting bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. Types of white blood cells that are most important for helping protect the body from infection and foreign cells include the following:

* neutrophils
* eosinophils
* lymphocytes
* monocytes
* granulocytes

White blood cells:

* help heal wounds not only by fighting infection, but also by ingesting matter such as dead cells, tissue debris, and old red blood cells.

* are our protection from foreign bodies that enter the blood stream, such as allergens.

* are involved in the protection against mutated cells, such as cancer.

The primary function of platelets, or thrombocytes, is blood clotting. Platelets are much smaller in size than the other blood cells. They group together to form clumps, or a plug, in the hole of a vessel to stop bleeding.

Blood cells are made in the bone marrow. The bone marrow is the soft, spongy material in the center of the bones that produces about 95 percent of the body’s blood cells.

There are other organs and systems in our bodies that help regulate blood cells. The lymph nodes, spleen, and liver help regulate the production, destruction, and differentiation (developing a specific function) of cells. The production and development of new cells is a process called hematopoiesis.

Blood cells formed in the bone marrow start out as a stem cell. A “stem cell” (or hematopoietic cell) is the initial phase of all blood cells. As the stem cell matures, several distinct cells evolve such as the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Immature blood cells are also called blasts. Some blasts stay in the marrow to mature and others travel to other parts of the body to develop into mature, functioning blood cells.

Blood cells Three main types of cell are present in blood: erythrocytes or red cells, leucocytes or white cells, and platelets. Red blood cells contain the protein haemoglobin, which is responsible for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to tissues, and of carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs. White blood cells are generally concerned with protection against invading micro‐organisms, and platelets with the ability of the blood to coagulate, and so prevent excessive blood loss through bleeding.

Hemophilia is classified as an X-linked recessive disorder, which means it is passed from a mother to her son.  About 1 out of every 5,000 - 10,000 males born in the U.S. are diagnosed with Hemophilia.  A woman who is a carrier of the gene has a 50% chance of having a son with Hemophilia, or a daughter who is a carrier.  A man with hemophilia will not pass it on to his sons; however his daughters will be carriers of the gene.  In some cases there is no known history of Hemophilia in the family and gene mutations are sometimes the cause for the condition.  Approximately 80% of the people who have Hemophilia have classic Hemophilia or Hemophilia A.  This is also known as Factor VIII (8) deficiency.  The remaining have Hemophilia B, also known as Christmas Disease or Factor IX (9) deficiency.

Hemophilia is most often classified by its severity.  Although the levels can overlap, there are three basic classifications of Hemophilia.  The severity of the disease is defined by how much of the clotting factor is produced by the body, and in what situations bleeding occurs.  The three classifications are as follows:

• Mild Hemophilia:  Clotting Factor VIII (8) or Clotting Factor IX (9) is at 5% of normal levels or greater.  Mild Hemophilia may not be recognized unless there is excessive bleeding after a major injury or surgical procedure.
• Moderate Hemophilia:  Clotting Factor VIII (8) or Clotting Factor IX (9) level is 1% to 5% of normal levels.  Bleeding usually follows a fall, sprain, or strain.
• Severe Hemophilia:  Clotting Factor VIII (8) or Clotting Factor IX (9) level is less than 1% of normal levels.  Bleeding episodes often happen spontaneously (for no apparent reason).

Von Willebrand disorder

Von Willebrand disorder (vWD) is more common than Hemophilia, and is found in both men and women.  People with von Willebrand disorder lack functional von Willebrand factor in their blood.  This disorder is inherited autosomally meaning either the mother or father can pass it on to a son or daughter.  A person who is a carrier of the gene has a 50% chance of having a child with von Willebrand disorder.  There are three different types of von Willebrand disorder known as Type 1(Mild), Type 2(Medium), and Type 3(Severe).

Treatment of Hemophilia & von Willebrand disorder

Effective treatment of Hemophilia & von Willebrand disorder is available for most people.  This is achieved by replacing factor that is missing in their blood.  Very mild cases can be treated with inter nasal or IV desmopressin acetate.  In more severe cases a concentrated form of the missing factor protein is administered intravenously as soon as the person knows they are having a bleed, or to prevent a bleed from occurring.  A small percentage of people will develop inhibitors to infused factor.  This may make the treatments less effective and also may complicate the treatment process.

Medex BioCare (MBC) offers a complete line of biotech pharmaceuticals in all available brands and assays for the home maintenance of chronic conditions such as Hemophilia & von Willebrand disorder.

Your blood group will be A, B, AB, or O. If you have “A” “B” or “O” blood group, you have antibodies in your blood plasma that destroy some of the other blood groups. If you have group “A” blood, you cannot receive blood that is group “B” and vice versa. If you have “O” blood, your body will create antibodies to fight “A” or “B” blood. If you have group “AB” blood however, your body will not create antibodies for any of the other blood groups.

Most of us are aware of our blood groups, which we inherit from our parents. We also know that blood transfusion is possible between two people if their blood groups are similar. But what determines our blood groups ? This is done by a protein complex called antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. These antigens are complex chemical substances found on the surface of red blood cells are different for each blood group. The two most important blood group systems in transfusion work are the ABO and Rhesus (Rh) systems.

Within the ABO system people can be one of four types - 0, A, B or AB, whilst in the Rh system they can be either Rh positive or Rh negative. Each system is inherited independently of the other. Thus, there are eight main blood groups.

Your Rh status will be listed as negative (-) or positive (+). If you have Rh- blood, your body may form antibodies against Rh+ blood and destroy it. In order for this to happen, you must first be exposed to Rh+ blood (i.e., through a blood transfusion or carrying an Rh+ fetus). This can be a problem if you have antibodies against Rh+ blood and are pregnant with an Rh+ fetus. However, there is medication that can prevent this reaction from occurring if it is given immediately after you are exposed to Rh+ blood.