Scientists Achieve Major Advance in Scalable Artificial Blood Production
KONSTANZ, Germany – Researchers at the University of Konstanz have made a pivotal discovery regarding the chemokine CXCL12, unlocking a key mechanism for efficiently producing human red blood cells in the lab – a major step toward scalable artificial blood production. the findings, published in Science Signaling, detail how CXCL12 orchestrates the final stages of red blood cell advancement, including elongation, nuclear polarization, chromatin condensation, and enucleation – the process of expelling the nucleus.
For years,creating functional red blood cells outside the human body has been a notable challenge. Current methods yield limited quantities and often lack the characteristics of natural erythrocytes. This breakthrough addresses a critical bottleneck in the process, offering a pathway to generate large volumes of red blood cells for potential transfusion applications.
The research, initiated in 2019 by Dr. Miriam Gutjahr while a postdoctoral researcher, centers on the previously underappreciated role of CXCL12. While known for guiding cell movement, the team discovered CXCL12 actively modifies internal cell behavior during erythropoiesis – the production of red blood cells. Specifically,CXCL12 signaling through the CXCR4 receptor within the cell drives the maturation process,culminating in the formation of enucleated reticulocytes,precursors to mature red blood cells.
“We are now researching how to employ CXCL12 to enhance the artificial production of human erythrocytes,” explained Dr. Gutjahr, who now leads a research group at the University of Konstanz. “We hope to optimize the conditions that yield the most red blood cells and implement them on a larger scale.”
Beyond blood production, the team’s work expands understanding of chemokine function within cells. Since most chemokines are known to control cell movement, their role in modifying internal cell behavior opens avenues for the study of novel therapies, not just for blood disease, but also for other illnesses where cell development is crucial.
The discovery could also reshape how researchers approach immune and developmental signaling molecules. If receptors like CXCR4 can function inside cells, future therapies might be designed to directly target those intracellular processes. Dr. Gutjahr and her colleagues demonstrate how understanding a single step in cell development can have far-reaching implications across multiple scientific domains.
Research findings are available online in the journal Science Signaling.