An individual’s blood not set by the presence of proteins known as blood groups that are found on the surface of red platelets. Even if many are aware of all these blood groups, there are quite a few important groups. Scientists have discovered a new category of blood group in the UK.
Although the high incidence red cell antigen Era was discovered almost 40 years ago lot of study is going on with the same. Its molecular origins, along with those of the other two Er blood group members, have not yet been fully understood.
The International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) of NHSBT and the School of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol led an international collaboration to look into a 30-year mystery involving the origin of three known but genetically uncharacterized antigens that did not correspond to any known blood group system.
The team established Er as a new blood group system by clearly demonstrating that Piezo1, a protein of broad biological importance, is the carrier for these sites (and more) using a combination of cutting-edge DNA sequencing and gene-editing techniques.
