A new discovery has shaken science to its core. More than five decades have passed since a research that opened a great unknown among scientists. Finally, the National Blood and Transplant Service (NHS) was able to solve it and confirmed the discovery of a new type of blood group. What’s so important about this, you may ask? Well, it could be the key to research into rare diseases and something fundamental for the future of blood transmission.
This came about thanks to an unusual case in 1972, which has changed medicine as we know it today. The protagonist was a pregnant woman who went to the hospital and, when she underwent a blood test, something unexpected was discovered: her red blood cells lacked a molecule on their surface. This is an antigen that is common in 99.99% of people.
This fact kept the scientific community in suspense for decades. English and Israeli doctors exhaustively analyzed the case and only now discovered something surprising. This woman had a new blood group system, which has nothing to do with the ones we already know.
The striking thing about this blood group
Scientists classified this new blood group as AnWj. It is characterized precisely by the lack of the AnWj antigen, which depends on a small protein called MAL. In the case of this woman, they discovered that she had a mutation in both MAL genes. After a thorough investigation, they discovered that this was a characteristic inherited from her parents.
Antigens in the blood groups
Blood groups are defined by small markers called antigens. These are found on the surface of red blood cells and function as identifiers. They are key elements in blood transfusions, because an incompatibility could provoke a dangerous reaction to the immune system and cause permanent damage to the system. For this reason, the discovery of the negative AnWj group highlights how much remains to be understood about these molecules.
The different blood types and their characteristics
There are different types of blood due to variations in the antigens present on the surface of the red blood cells. The most common types are: A, B, AB and O, referring to these specific molecules. In addition, there is an Rh factor, which can be positive or negative, resulting in certain blood types such as A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+ and O-.
There are also more than 600 known antigens, according to the Red Cross. Their presence or absence creates “rare blood types.” What do you mean by “rare”? Well, a blood type is considered rare if it lacks antigens for which 99% of people are positive.
The next step to take
Scientists have identified three cases of people who identically share this rare new blood type. However, the patients did not have the same genetic mutation. This makes it possible that certain blood diseases or even cancer could influence the expression of the AnWj antigen. The next step in the research will be to find out whether the absence of this antigen is exclusively due to genetic factors or whether it could also be influenced by external elements.
It is incredible that something as small as a molecule has completely revolutionized and raised questions about transfusion medicine. It could also be considered a small step towards continued research into rare diseases and patient compatibility.
It has been more than 50 years since this genetic change was first discovered. This realizes that there is no telling how much more there is to be discovered about our bodies and medicine in the future. Science is therefore an incredible thing, which bodes well for the future of health.
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