�A team of researchers at Advanced Cell Technology, the University of Illinois-Chicago and the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday published a study online in the journal Blood that describes a new process of creating red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells, the AP/Google.com reports. According to the research team, the red blood cells created through the process behaved the same way as natural cells in laboratory tests. Researchers said that in the future the process could lead to mass production of red blood cells for transfusions (Ritter, AP/Google.com, 8/20).
However, some experts said that certain improvements are required before the red blood cells created through the process could become a "realistic alternative" to cells provided by donors, the Los Angeles Times reports (Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 8/20). Robert Lanza, scientific director for ACT, said that researchers hope to modify the process to create red blood cells from pluripotent stem cells, which are made through skin cells. Current federal policy does not allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, and Lanza said that researchers have had problems with funding (Fox, Reuters, 8/19).
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