Removing A and B Antigens for O Type Blood
October 23, 2018 | Terry Sharrer
It has long been known that A type blood cells have one kind of antigen (sugar) on their surfaces; B type has another; AB has both, and O type has neither. O type is the most common and can be transfused (a universal donor) to any patient. So, scientists at the University of British Columbia reasoned that enzymes that could detach the A and B antigens off red blood cells could expand the supply of O type blood. They found those enzymes in GI tract bacteria which feed off glycosylated proteins called mucins. MORE
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