Laboratory grown red blood cells have been transfused into volunteers in a world first clinical trial that could help revolutionise treatments for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The manufactured blood cells were grown from stem cells from donors, which in future could allow donor blood to be expanded into much larger volumes for transfusion. Two healthy volunteers have so far been transfused with the lab grown red cells, as part of the Restore trial, led jointly by NHS Blood and Transplant and the University of Bristol. Source: The Guardian 7/11/2022