Blood Type A & B Compatibility to O Possible, With New Blood-Altering Enzyme Discovered by Scientists

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A new enzyme created by scientists that could modify blood types and make universal blood donation a possibility.

A team of Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia found a way to turn blood types A and B into type O by using an engineered enzyme. Type O blood is considered to be the universal donor. Using the new technique to donate blood could potentially solve blood matching dilemma for patients who need blood.

"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," according to lead author David Kwan. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

The researchers extracted the enzyme derived from 98 glycoside hydrolase from a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The enzyme works by cutting the sugars or antigens found in blood types A and B to turn them to type O, according to Science Alert. The team was able to remove majority of the antigens found in Type A and B using the enzyme. Admittedly, they needed to strengthen the enzyme so no traces of antigen can be found.

"A major limitation has always been the efficiency of the enzymes," said Stephen Withers in a news release from UBC. "Impractically large amounts of enzyme were needed."

The difference of the four major blood types, A, B, AB, and O are in the sugar structures in their red blood cells. The reason type O can be donated to other people with different blood types is because it does not have the respective residue found in types A, B, and AB. The antigens in these blood types when not properly matched could trigger a possible fatal immune response, according to Inquisitr.

"The concept is not new but until now we needed so much of the enzyme to make it work that it was impractical," said Stephen Withers, co-author of the study. "Now I'm confident that we can take this a whole lot further."

Researchers revealed that they believe universal blood donation could be a very real possibility in the future. According to Medical Daily article, this advancement could also make tissue and organ transplant possible between donors and receivers who do not have the same blood type and wait-listing could be a thing of the past.