Improving blood transfusions 'could be massive'

Researchers have developed a new approach to restoring nitric oxide to blood, paving the way for significant developments.

Researchers have come up with a new approach to restoring nitric oxide (NO) to blood that has been donated, which could revolutionise the detrimental effects that can occur from transfusions.

The findings of the study from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have been published in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

In the US alone, there are 15 million blood transfusions a year, and occurs for all sorts of reasons. This includes increasing the volume of blood where people are unable to produce enough – due to cancer and other diseases for example.

It is also used to replace blood that has been lost due to some traumatic event, like an accident.

There are some reports that suggest that blood transfusions can have a negative impact in some instances, because the quantity of NO reduces speedily after it has been donated.

In normal circumstances, NO tempers blood vessels, allowing red blood cells to access tissue and provide essential oxygen.

"In the blood, NO exists in a bioactive form called S-nitrosohemoglobin (SNO-Hb)," an official release stated.

"The unique process Stamler and team developed to restore SNO-Hb — so-called renitrosylation therapy — could have significant benefits for millions of patients."