Blood donations could one day be a thing of the past, thanks to scientists who have grown the first functional red blood cells in the laboratory from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Researchers had previously grown blood cells from ESCs but never achieved the ‘enucleation’ step which meant that the cells can’t divide and become cancerous.

Now, a team in the United States has created red blood cells by exposing cultures of human ESCs to a sequence of nutrients and growth factors — this turned them first into haemangioblasts, precursors to blood cells, and then into mature blood cells.

According to the scientists, the crucial achievement was getting the cells to expel their nuclei just as they would in the body. “Experts said it was impossible, and we’re pretty surprised ourselves when it worked,” said Robert Lanza.

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