synthetic-rbcFor the first time in the world, scientists managed to string together all the amino-acid building blocks in erythropoietin, but it remains to be seen whether the scientific team managed to end up with a properly folded form. In plain English, red blood cell boosters have been synthesized for the first time in human history, being the hormone that is the main key when it comes to the creation of red blood cells from the most basic sum of its parts. Also known as EPO, this protein would arrive with an attached sugar, and in our bodies, it is naturally produced by the kidneys. Red blood cells are the ones that determine the level of oxygen that your blood is able to carry, while EPO also helps in the creation of hemoglobin.

The synthesized EPO was created after stringing together a chain of amino acids in order to result in a protein that has large sugars integrated into the process. Trials have shown that mice which have been injected with this synthesized EPO were able to produce more red blood cells in due time. It is not a perfect process just yet, but in the future, it could mean the creation of drugs without the need for living cells.

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