Canadian researchers say they may have identified substances from the human gut that could turn Type A and B blood into Type O blood — a discovery that could make blood donation simpler, especially in times of emergency.
People with Type O negative blood are considered universal donors, as they can donate blood to anyone. That’s why Type O negative blood is always in high demand during emergencies, when there is often little time to test a patient’s blood type to make sure it matches a donor.
Those with the other types of blood – Type A and Type B – have antigens on their red blood cells that prevent their blood from being donated to those who don’t match.
