Sang froid to go

[Guest guest]

Plus it makes a great hot beverage!

Or maybe not. But freeze-dried blood could save a lot

of lives and money

Aug. 20, 2006.

OAKLAND ROSS

STAFF REPORTER

 

Here's a product whose time may well be about to come:

freeze-dried blood.

 

If all goes well in the laboratory, and if some

much-needed research funding materializes, Israeli

soldiers in two years' time could be marching into

battle with small pouches of their own powdered blood

tucked in with their bandages and other emergency

medical gear.

 

" It's the equivalent of Nescafé, " says Bity Natan,

program manager of the blood-preservation project at

an Israeli biotechnology firm called Core Dynamics

Israel. " It's the same principle. "

 

Just add water ? distilled is best ? and the result is

human blood perfectly matched to the recipient and

ready for transfusions on or near the battlefield.

 

It sounds like science fiction, and the technology has

yet to be perfected, but already the Israeli Defence

Forces have expressed interest in the project and

invested some money.

 

Natan says the U.S. military is taking a look at the

idea, as well.

 

" It's very light because most of the water content is

gone, " she says of the product's potential advantages.

" Each soldier can have it in his pack. It doesn't need

cold temperatures. "

 

There would be no compatibility or contamination

problems, either, because each soldier who required a

transfusion would be receiving his or her blood.

 

" Your own blood is better, of course, " says Natan.

" You don't have matching problems. Especially in

chaotic situations, you don't always immediately have

the right type. Some people have rare types. "

 

Such problems would be solved forever, assuming the

process being developed by Core Dynamics works, and

assuming the firm receives an injection of additional

funding.

 

" We still need more money, " says Natan. " The Israeli

Defence Forces have already shown their interest and

given money, but they are limited in their resources. "

 

Based in the Israeli town of Ness Ziona not far from

Tel Aviv, Core Dynamics specializes in the

preservation of human cells and tissues, using what it

calls Multi Thermal Gradient technology.

 

According to the firm's literature, MTG " allows

precise control over ice-crystal propagation during

the freezing process, thus substantially reducing the

damage caused to cells during freezing with

conventional methods. "

 

In other words, this is not quite the same as Nescafé.

 

Natan says freeze-dried blood could have applications

far beyond the battlefield. " The market for this

product is universal, " she says. " This can change the

blood-banking system. "

 

Currently, Natan says, liquid blood can be stored for

no longer than six weeks. The blood must remain

refrigerated throughout this period and then it

becomes unusable.

 

" The sooner you use it, the better, " says Natan,

" because it deteriorates under storage. "

 

On the other hand, freeze-dried blood could be stored

indefinitely and at room temperature, dramatically

cutting costs and increasing the product's

availability.

 

But additional research and testing must be done.

 

" Our estimate is, we need two years, " says Natan,

" with proper funding. "

 

Regarding the science-fiction aspect of the notion,

Natan draws a firm distinction between her field,

known as cryobiology, and the quasi-science called

cryonics, which envisions the freezing of entire human

bodies so they might be revived in the future.

 

" Cryobiologists don't like cryonics, " she says. " One

cell type is difficult to freeze, not to mention whole

organs. "

 

Natan insists, however, that her project is feasible,

that the technology is quite simple, and that the idea

of instant human blood might soon seem no more

remarkable than instant coffee does today.

 

" It's such a great project, " she says. " Can you

emphasize we need funding? "

 

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[Guest guest]

Blood is a living fluid with living cells. I predict that if this

hair-brained scheme is actualized, we are going to see lots of strange

new diseases and conditions cropping up 5, 10, or more years after a

soldier gets a transfusion with reconstituted dry blood.

 

If they are serious about wanting less battlefield deaths, they they

should work to stop having wars!

 

Alobar

 

On 8/29/06, dar <dobbie606 wrote:

> Plus it makes a great hot beverage!

> Or maybe not. But freeze-dried blood could save a lot

> of lives and money

> Aug. 20, 2006.

> OAKLAND ROSS

> STAFF REPORTER

>

> Here's a product whose time may well be about to come:

> freeze-dried blood.

>

> If all goes well in the laboratory, and if some

> much-needed research funding materializes, Israeli

> soldiers in two years' time could be marching into

> battle with small pouches of their own powdered blood

> tucked in with their bandages and other emergency

> medical gear.

>

> " It's the equivalent of Nescafé, " says Bity Natan,

> program manager of the blood-preservation project at

> an Israeli biotechnology firm called Core Dynamics

> Israel. " It's the same principle. "

>

> Just add water ? distilled is best ? and the result is

> human blood perfectly matched to the recipient and

> ready for transfusions on or near the battlefield.

>