Research into blood groups has reached a surprising conclusion. After 50 years of work, scientists in England have discovered a new blood group. Researchers from NHS Blood and Transplant, Bristol University and NHSBT International Blood Group Reference Laboratory have taken an important step in this field.
Louise Tilley, a hematologist from the UK National Health Service, said that they achieved this success as a result of nearly 20 years of research and said, “The emergence of this new blood group system has enabled us to make great progress in terms of providing the best treatment for rare but critical patients.”
There Are Other Blood Groups Apart From ABO and Rh Systems
Everyone is familiar with ABOO blood group system and Rh In addition to the factor (known as positive or negative), humans have many blood group systems because of the different proteins and sugars that surround the blood cells. Our bodies use these antigen molecules to detect and distinguish harmful substances.
If these antigens do not match during a blood transfusion, it can cause serious reactions and even fatal results. Major blood group systems were discovered in the early 20th century, but blood groups discovered in recent years, such as the Er blood system, identified in 2022, affect only a small number of people. The newly discovered MAL blood group also joined these rare systems.
New Blood Group System: MAL
The mystery surrounding the AnWj antigen, discovered in 1972 but whose genetic structure has not been deciphered, was revealed with the identification of a new blood group system, MAL. This discovery will allow people with the rare AnWj negative blood group to be more easily identified and treated.
How was the New Blood Type Discovered?
Tilley and his team determined that the AnWj antigen, which was not found in the blood of a pregnant patient in 1972, was present in 99.9 percent of the population. Realizing that this antigen was located in myelin and lymphocyte proteins, the researchers developed the newly discovered system MAL blood group He named it as.
Individuals with mutations in both copies of the MAL gene have the AnWj-negative blood type. This is similar to the pregnant patient from 1972. The researchers also identified three other patients with this rare blood type, but no mutations were detected in these patients. This suggests that some blood disorders may also lead to antigen suppression.
47. Blood Group System Revealed
This discovery revealed that the AnWj antigen belongs to the 47th blood group system, MAL. While most people are AnWj positive, it was determined that some rare individuals do not have this antigen and these individuals are at risk during blood transfusion. In individuals who are genetically AnWj negative, serious reactions can occur if the wrong blood transfusion is performed.
50-Year-Old Riddle Solved!
This study will pave the way for the development of new genetic tests to identify and treat rare patients. The researchers determined that AnWj is carried by the Mal protein and that a deficiency of this protein leads to an AnWj negative phenotype in some individuals. The study examined genetic cases with this rare phenotype, providing new data that will allow the identification of hereditary AnWj negative individuals.
Louise Tilley, senior researcher at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The genetic background of AnWj has been an unsolved mystery for 50 years. This discovery is the result of years of teamwork” He emphasized the importance of this discovery. Researchers stated that this development is a vital step for patients with rare blood groups.
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