A new discovery by scientists has added another name to the list of blood groups. After extensive research spanning more than 50 years, scientists have introduced an addition to the decades-old list of four blood groups — ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘AB’, and ‘O’. This new blood group has been named ‘MAL’.
This rare blood group was first identified in 1972, but remained unknown until the development of this new test. Researchers from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), a special health authority in the UK, were doing extensive research on the identification of this blood group and its potential benefits for the medical world. The discovery could help in finding treatments for many rare diseases.
A senior scientist from the research team said, “This is a rare blood group, and it will be very beneficial for patients with rare blood types.”
Scientists Discover Potential Benefits
This new research will lead to safer blood transfusion and will simplify the process of blood donation. According to the researchers, it will increase the rate of blood donation and will contribute in development of some more effective drugs. It will also help in the treatment of individuals with diseases associated such rare blood types.
The discovery of the MAL blood group will enable the identification of patients with AnWj antibodies. A deficiency of AnWj antigen antibodies makes it difficult for a patient to fight diseases. According to the research, the genotyping platform can easily identify both AnWj-negative blood donors and blood recipients.
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