Blood transfusion

A large new randomized clinical trial should put people who are ever in need of a blood transfusion more at ease. Scientists in Canada have found that the sex of a blood donor had no significant effect on the recipient’s chances of survival. Several past studies had suggested a possible risk, but this appears to be the first major research of its kind to examine the issue.Won’t Virtual Reality Make Me Sick?In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding possibly hidden risk factors that could affect…

Illustration: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)An important clinical trial is now underway in the UK. The study is the first to transfuse red blood cells grown in the lab from donated stem cells into humans. Should this research pay off, these blood cells would be incredibly valuable for people with rare blood types, though they wouldn’t replace the need for traditional blood donation.The RESTORE trial, as it’s known, is being conducted by scientists from the UK’s National Health Services and various universities. At least 10…