Researchers Finally Solve 50-Year-Old Blood Group Mystery
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a hidden layer of genetic regulation that explains why individuals with the same blood type can have vastly different amounts of key molecules on their red blood cells. The finding could make blood transfusions safer and shed light on how our bodies fight disease.
Scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of genetic regulation that helps explain why individuals with the same blood type can differ at the molecular level. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden found that people with the same blood type can carry vastly different amounts of key molecules on their red blood cells. The discovery, published in Nature Communications in 2023, reveals hidden genetic controls that standard tests have missed. The team focused on transcription factors, proteins that act like molecular switches, and mapped nearly 200 binding sites across 33 blood group genes. They tested their method on the Helgeson blood group, a rare variant with unusually low levels of Complement Receptor 1 (CR1). The analysis revealed that the Helgeson variant is caused by a tiny change in a DNA sequence where a transcription factor is supposed to bind, leading to reduced levels of CR1 on red blood cells. Lower CR1 levels appear to be protective against malaria, which may explain why the variant is more common in regions where the disease is widespread.
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