Scientists develop groundbreaking ‘blood on demand’ technology to revolutionize emergency transfusions

A transformative new method for freezing human red blood cells has been developed by researchers from the Universities of Leeds and Manchester. The technique, created with industry partners CryoLogyx, has the potential to revolutionise how blood is stored and delivered in emergencies, remote locations, and military operations.

Led by Dr Fraser Macrae from Leeds and Professor Matthew Gibson from Manchester, the research has been published in Cryobiology journal.

Rather than using traditional cryoprotective agents – substances which protect cells by preventing ice, the team developed a cocktail which includes a new class of macromolecule which protects cells by preventing damaging ice from forming inside them, known as polyampholytes.

Beating the clock: delivering on-demand blood

Red blood cell transfusions are critical for treating trauma, anaemia, and complications from chemotherapy or surgery. However, refrigerated red blood cells have a shelf life of just 42 days, creating logistical challenges for maintaining a reliable blood supply – especially in crisis situations or remote regions.

To allow blood to be banked for future use, cryopreservation (freezing) is an essential technology. Currently, glycerol is used as a cryoprotectant – a substance which protects the blood from cold stress by preventing ice from forming within the cells. However, it comes with a major drawback: a laborious and time-consuming thawing and washing process that can take over an hour per unit of blood. This delay can be life-threatening in emergencies and complicates its use in, for example, crisis or military situations.

The new method addresses this washing speed problem. By combining three cryoprotectants – polyampholytes (a type of polymer), DMSO (a cryoprotectant typically used for stem cells), and trehalose (a sugar) – the researchers have developed a formulation (PaDT) that not only preserves red blood cells effectively but also reduces the post-thaw washout time by over 50 minutes compared to glycerol.

Dr Fraser Macrae from the University of Leeds said: "Our goal was to create a system that allows blood to be frozen and then used almost on demand, with PaDT, we’ve achieved that. It’s faster, simpler, and results in better recovery of healthy, functional red blood cells.”

How it works

The PaDT formulation leverages the unique properties of its three components:

• Polyampholytes: unique polymeric cryoprotectants which have many beneficial properties including preventing ice forming inside cells.
• DMSO: a permeating cryoprotectant that enters cells quickly replacing water molecules, stopping ice from forming
• Trehalose: a sugar found in extremophiles like tardigrades; trehalose protects cells from dehydration and stabilises proteins and membranes.

Together, these agents work to protect RBCs during freezing and allow for a simplified, low toxicity thawing process.

What’s the prognosis, doc?

This breakthrough has the potential to transform emergency medicine. With this new method frozen blood could be stockpiled and rapidly deployed in disaster zones, on the battlefield, or in rural hospitals – without the need for constant donations or complex equipment.

Professor Matthew Gibson, from the University of Manchester, said: "Imagine a future where blood can be ‘on tap’, ready to transfuse asap to those who need it most. This technology brings us one step closer to that reality.”

The research team is now exploring how this method can be integrated into automated systems for large-scale blood processing. They are also investigating its potential for preserving other cell types, including stem cells and platelets.

Key Findings

• Rapid washout: Cocktail-treated RBCs can be washed and prepared for transfusion in just 25 minutes – compared to over 75 minutes for glycerol.
• Higher recovery rates: The new method results in an average RBC recovery of 88.7% matching the performance of glycerol.
• Minimal cell damage: RBCs preserved with PaDT showed comparable morphology, metabolic activity, and osmotic stability to fresh cells.
• Scalable for clinical use: The team successfully tested the method on full-size blood bags, achieving recovery rates above the U.S. military and American Association of Blood Banks’ minimum standards.

ENDS

Notes to editors

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