The Future Of Saving Lives: Synthetic Blood

[This post was written by Dawn Lunsford, one of our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs)]

While driving along in my car the other day, a story came across the radio that made me stop and think. This story was different than the typical tales of death and destruction that inundate the airwaves. This story actually hit home for a number of reasons.

Blood shortages have prompted scientists to develop a synthetic form of blood that can be transfused into anyone, regardless of blood type, and has a much longer shelf life than traditional human blood. Being that the story was on the radio, and there was limited time to convey the information, that was about all that was said. Naturally, it left me with numerous questions. As soon as I got home, I headed for my old standby – the internet – to get my information fix. I was shocked by what I found.

It seems that our military is often the hardest hit when it comes to the need for blood. (This is one of the main reasons behind the development of synthetic blood.) It sometimes takes days or even weeks for desperately needed blood to reach our troops in areas of Iraq and Afghanistan. Complicating matters is the fact that (thanks to poor conditions during transport), the blood is sometimes ruined or expired by the time it arrives. (Here’s an article talking about just that.)

When I found that out, I was appalled! How can we expect someone to defend our country when we can’t even care for their injuries?

Although synthetic blood would benefit society greatly, there are a few drawbacks. Synthetic blood has not yet been approved by the FDA, but it is currently awaiting approval. Another problem is that the single unit cost is a whopping $5,000. On the bright side, Arteriocyte, the lab in Cleveland, OH that created synthetic blood is researching ways to make their product more cost effective and capable of mass production. Until then, we’ll just have to get our blood the old-fashioned way: from individuals generous enough to donate.

What’s your opinion on synthetic blood and the military? Do you feel it’s too little too late or that the government should be helping to expedite the process to get it approved by the FDA?