Abstract
Haematopoietic stem cells and a number of cell types derived from them are routinely transfused clinically. Haematopoietic lineage cells used for transfusion are predominantly red cells, followed by platelets and granulocytes. However, although blood transfusion has revolutionized modern medicine over the past century, many issues still exist with supply, particularly in developing nations, and adverse reactions and infections are still commonplace raising concerns for both donor and recipient safety. The production of hematopoietic lineage cells in vitro would assuage safety concerns and maintain supply. It would also resolve issues such as blood cell shelf-life and ageing by providing homogenous populations of cells; allow for production of universal/rare blood types on demand; and could provide a therapeutic solution in the case of conditions such as haemoglobinopathies. Theoretically it is possible to generate functional, mature cells of all hematopoietic lineages in vitro, however, the sheer volumes of blood cells required to meet current transfusion demand (or even demand for rare blood types), and production-associated costs means that, at present, this process is not feasible for routine treatment. Here we review the current state of in vitro blood cell production with particular emphasis on the generation of red blood cells/erythrocytes; and explore the technical issues associated with medium-to-large scale manufacturing of these cells, and the likelihood of commercial production and routine clinical use in the future.
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Browne, S.M., Al-Rubeai, M. (2014). Blood Cell Bioprocessing: The Haematopoietic System and Current Status of In-Vitro Production of Red Blood Cells. In: Al-Rubeai, M., Naciri, M. (eds) Stem Cells and Cell Therapy. Cell Engineering, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7196-3_5
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