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Gargir said the company envisions production sites that could generate thousands of liters of blood at a time.
By Shula Rosen
An Israeli company says it is working on a way to mass-produce blood for transfusions, a development it says could help prevent millions of deaths each year.
RedC Biotech, founded by Dr. Ari Gargir, is trying to grow universal red blood cells from stem cells in large bioreactors.
The company said the process could generate hundreds of usable units at once, providing hospitals with a steady supply that does not rely on donations.
“In advanced countries like Israel, Europe and the Far East, there are transient shortages, occasional shortages,” Gargir told Ynet. “In less advanced countries and regions, there are great shortages, and many people die from insufficient blood or blood that is not at the right standards.”
The cells are stored at temperatures below minus-150 degrees Celsius. Once thawed and cultivated, a single cell can multiply into millions. “The potential is endless,” said RedC’s lead scientist, Dr. Oren Inzelberg Yifa, who specializes in stem cell growth.
Gargir said the company envisions production sites that could generate thousands of liters of blood at a time. The transfusion-ready cells would be harvested, tested, packaged, and distributed worldwide.
For him, the project is also personal. He recalled a paragliding accident decades ago in which a transfusion saved his life.
“You won’t need any donor. You will have one blood type that can fit everybody,” he said. “About 2 million people die around the world from blood loss every year. If we can make blood available everywhere and at every time, we can save many of those lives.”
RedC Biotech is moving toward preclinical and clinical trials, with plans to eventually expand into full-scale factories operating under local regulations.
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