Our research in transfusion is focused on the improvement of transfusion products, in the forefront of which is the RBC. With the development of new experimental and technological approaches, it is now possible to produce RBCs in vitro from HSC. Producing such RBCs is a major challenge in the world of transfusion since, conceptually, it would be possible to produce "customized" RBCs, with the appropriate combination of surface markers to meet the three needs
- Produce RBCs for diagnostic purposes, which can be used to enrich rare immunohematology panelsProduce
- RBCs for targeted transfusion purposes for qualitative self-sufficiency, to meet transfusion needs on a relatively small scale for allo-immune patients who are at a transfusion impasse due to the unavailability of compatible bloodProduce
- "universal" RBCs on a very large scale for quantitative self-sufficiency, which would allow bypassing blood donation
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Despite proofs of concept demonstrating the feasibility of producing RBCs in vitro for transfusion purposes, such production is currently limited by technical restrictions on the quality and quantity of these RBCs. Our expertise and the research conducted in the other components of this axis will feed this project, led by Wassim El Nemer, in order to optimize the conditions of cell culture and reticulocyte maturation by combining the different components explored in our projects (3D model, hypoxia, metabolism...), in close collaboration with our partners.), in close collaboration with our partners within the EFS (Laurence Guyonneau Harmand) and on a European (Sanquin, Netherlands), international (New York Blood Center, USA) and industrial (DIAGAST, France) scale.