A University of Michigan lab has created artificial bone marrow that can continuously make red and white blood cells. This development could lead to simpler pharmaceutical drug testing, closer study of immune system defects and a continuous supply of blood for transfusions, the research team reported in the current issue of Journal of Biomaterials.

“This is the first successful bone marrow,” said Nicholas Kotov, the lead researcher on the project. “It has two of the essential functions of bone marrow. It can replicate blood stem cells and produce B cells. The latter are the key immune cells producing antibodies that are important in fighting many diseases.”

Blood stem cells give rise to blood as well as other types of cells. B cells, a type of white blood cell, battles colds, bacterial infections,and other foreign or abnormal cells including some cancers.

This discovery should open doors that will benefit the patient with diabetes in terms of their ability to fight off bacterial infections and cancers.

-drhinkes