Major Red Blood Cell Discovery

 Major Red Blood Cell Discovery

University of Virginia research team could have big implications for treating numerous serious illnesses.

People with anemia – the most common blood disorder – lack sufficient red blood cells, which transport oxygen. People with anemia often experience fatigue and lack energy because their cells aren’t getting enough oxygen. There are many causes, including iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies and diseases such as kidney disease and cancer. Anemia is particularly prevalent in older adults. - See more at: https://news.virginia.edu/content/baffling-lab-mystery-leads-major-red-blood-cell-discovery#sthash.SmqJvTZz.dpuf

 People with anemia – the most common blood disorder – lack sufficient red blood cells, which transport oxygen. People with anemia often experience fatigue and lack energy because their cells aren’t getting enough oxygen. There are many causes, including iron deficiency, vitamin deficiencies and diseases such as kidney disease and cancer. Anemia is particularly prevalent in older adults.

The researchers were injecting flu virus and an antibody into mice when the cells they were studying prompted the mice's bodies to create more red blood cells. Braciale says they repeated the test multiple times and got the same results.

After injecting mice with the flu virus and an antibody that blocked a certain molecule expressed by dendritic cells, the researchers discovered that the experiment had an unexpected effect: The mice’s spleens enlarged massively, which indicated they were producing red blood cells. The researchers were baffled, so they repeated the experiment, only to get the same results.
 
"When we do research, we sometimes have a direction but if we're cognizant, if we understand what the importance of the work is, sometimes we can make a finding in a totally unrelated area that's important," he said.

Stress erythropoiesis refers to the body producing red blood cells because of injury or some other stress. In discovering an unexpected molecular trigger for the process, Braciale had found a switch he could flip to prompt red blood cell production.

The research has shifted to focus on this new discovery, which needs to be explored further in human subjects.