As the number of blood donors declines, leading to a global shortage of blood for transfusions, countries have begun efforts to develop blood substitutes. However, most remain at an early stage due to difficulties in mass production or the complexity of manufacturing processes. Recently, a domestic biotechnology company has succeeded in producing transfusion blood using stem cells in vitro.
Domestic in vitro blood development company Artblood announced on the 28th that its research results on blood production using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have been published in the international journal "Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology." Induced pluripotent stem cells are created by inserting specific genes into mature somatic cells, such as skin cells, reverting them to immature stem cells.
Artblood was founded in 2022 by Baek Eun-jeong, a professor in the Department of Diagnostic Hematology at Hanyang University. Baek developed a technology to produce red blood cells in vitro by introducing a specific gene called TAL1 into stem cells.
In this study, Artblood analyzed how the overexpression of the TAL1 gene, essential for red blood cell production, facilitates the differentiation process from stem cells to red blood cells. The results confirmed that activating TAL1 increases hematopoietic cell formation complex (HCFC), promotes the expression of hematopoietic-related genes, and accelerates the rate of red blood cell production.
Baek noted, "This research proves that TAL1 plays a crucial role in the hematopoietic process utilizing stem cells," and added, "It has opened the possibility of mass-producing red blood cells in vitro."
Artblood has independently developed the "Bioblood" technology to replicate the process of blood formation in the bone marrow in vitro. Last year, the company secured 10.5 billion won in Series A funding, and it is currently in the midst of developing a mass production process for Bioblood. This year, it aims to promote global partner collaborations.
Meanwhile, the government is expanding support for the development of transfusion blood by announcing the "Plan for Securing R&D and Production Capabilities for Artificial Blood Development" in 2021. Countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan are also investing in related technology. The global transfusion blood market is projected to grow from 47 trillion won in 2022 to 70 trillion won by 2030.
References
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2025), DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2025.1474631