Blood products are used to treat a multitude of diseases, so the blood transfusion system needs to be enhanced. CRISPR/Cas9 has made it viable to make HLA class I-deleted blood products to avoid rejection

Abstract

In adults, normal hematopoiesis occurs in the bone marrow, producing leukocytes, red blood cells, and platelets. Recently, megakaryocytes have been found in mouse lungs and spleen, where they release platelets by blood flow force. Blood products are used to treat a multitude of diseases and conditions that generate cytopenia. The blood transfusion system must be enhanced due to a drop in blood donors due to low birth rate and changing attitudes among young people, pathogen contamination, and rising demand due to chronic blood diseases that are prevalent among the elderly. Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, may proliferate in vitro indefinitely and are a prospective source for blood transfusions to replace blood donations.

Platelet preparations can be maintained at room temperature to sustain platelet function, but only have a statutory expiry date of five days. Platelets are anucleate cells, thus irradiation before blood donation can lessen the risk of iPS cell infection. Effective treatment requires HLA-compatible platelet transfusions, although supply limits often leave patients underserved. CRISPR/Cas9 has made it viable to make HLA class I-deleted blood products to avoid rejection and lower the odds of platelet-expressed human leukocyte antigen Class I cancer-causing iPS cells (HLA-I). This article discusses the production of megakaryocyte cell lines, bioreactors, and scale-up cultures, as well as identifying viable drugs in manufacturing. HLA-null, iPSC-derived platelet products' universal potential will also be explored.