Hullo science nerds,

Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall has a gig I was unfamiliar with until just now... I would regularly see and love his work published in "Funny Times" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funny_Ti… but I saw this post from him:

TMI Show Ep 151: “Artificial Blood Breakthrough”

youtube.com/live/qBlX7b0B0EA

Jun 3, 2025 brings you a heart-pounding episode of “The TMI Show with hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” diving into a game-changing medical revolution! Japan’s Nara Medical University, led by Professor Hiromi Sakai, is making waves with clinical trials for universal artificial blood. Rare blood type? No problem! Nara has you covered with fake blood.

This purple-hued, hemoglobin-based blood, usable for all blood types and storable for two years at room temperature, could solve global blood shortages, especially in emergencies and low-income nations with sketchy refrigeration facilities. With only 40% of the world’s 118 million annual blood donations coming from high-income countries, millions of sick people lack access to the kind of transfusions that saved Ted’s life in 1984, costing lives in trauma, surgery, and childbirth.

Sakai’s lab is out to eliminate infection risks, blood type mismatches, and short shelf life, hoping to launch by 2030. But it’s not without risks—previous artificial blood trials in the U.S. and U.K. raised safety concerns like toxicity and immune reactions. Will Japan’s project solve these issues or face similar setbacks? Tune in for a deep dive into this potential lifesaver and its global impact.

#news #science #technology #medicine #ArtificialBlood #breakthrough