Discovery may spell an end to blood banks
A DRAMATIC discovery could mean an end to matching blood transfusions from anonymous donors to patients within just two years.
Scientists have shown that ordinary skin cells can effectively be converted into adult blood cells in a laboratory.
The Canadian team is now racing towards clinical trials, which could begin as early as 2012.
Leukemia patients could be the first to benefit, receiving transfusions of perfectly matched blood generated from their own skin. Scientists said laboratory-manufactured blood could help plug the gap caused by donor shortages.