Cultured blood versus donated blood: Long-run perspectives of the economy of blood

Abstract

Recent advances of fundamental research on the in vitro generation of red blood cells (RBCs) from hematopoietic stem cells in the laboratory open new possibilities of the utilization of cultured RBCs in transfusion medicine.We study the economic challenge of the setup and development of the mass industrial production of RBCs in mature transfusion organizations. We argue that: (i) RBC manufacturing could be set up and developed in the short-medium run for the treatment of the small proportion of transfused patients who have a rare blood type or are alloimmunized against blood antigens; (ii) manufactured RBCs could substitute for donated RBCs in the long run if the physical productivity of RBC engineering technology approaches that of bone marrow.

Why Industrial Production of Red Blood Cells From Stem Cells is Essential for Tomorrow’s Blood Transfusion

“…The annual cost of blood transfusion is becoming increasingly significant due to the legitimate demands of public health [14,19,20]. The market price of UPR varies considerably depending on the country (whether or not there is a network of collection of free or paid donations of blood and other forms of supply), the blood group considered (a rare blood UPR can reach up to US$5000 or even more, excluding transport and the emergency situation or not in which the transfusion is to be carried out).…”

2015 proceedings of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's State of the Science in Transfusion Medicine symposium

“…8 Although blood substitutes and blood "pharming" from stem cells will likely require years of development, it is now technically feasible using hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. 9,10 Near-term applications for special patient populations could include RBCs from rare donors for chronically transfused patients.…”

“…Use of ex vivo‐generated RBCs is an alternative to conventional donor‐derived RBCs, which may improve product consistency and safety and reduce the storage lesion . Although blood substitutes and blood “pharming” from stem cells will likely require years of development, it is now technically feasible using hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells . Near‐term applications for special patient populations could include RBCs from rare donors for chronically transfused patients.…”