Hematopoiesis: Formation and Generation of RBCs​​

Team Lead: Hammad Hassan, Assistant Professor​​

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Blood transfusion has become a vital component of modern clinical practice for treating a wide range of medical conditions, including bleeding disorders, anemia, surgery and certain cancers.  Availability of blood is heavily reliant on voluntary blood donations. According to data sources from the World Health Organization (WHO), over 118 million units of blood are donated annually worldwide; however, the demand continues to outpace supply. Additionally, infection and alloimmunization remain a significant concern due to blood transfusion.

The ex vivo generation of red blood cells (RBCs) offers a potential solution to meet the challenges of blood supply shortages and safety. Extensive efforts are underway to produce functional RBCs in the labs. However, the road is still under construction.    

Dr Hammad Hassan is leading the research in this area at CRM.