英国的科学家们史无前例地计划从胚胎干细胞中制造出大量人造血液。这些血液将用于紧急事故中的无感染输血。人造血液的出现，将有助于营救那些在交通事故中的伤者或者在战场上受伤的士兵们。

爱丁堡大学的Marc Turner教授将主导这项研究。除了英国以外，瑞典，法国，澳大利亚的科学家们也正努力做着相同的尝试。

科学家希望通过刺激胚胎干细胞，使之发育成为成熟的，具有携氧能力的红细胞，来制造人造血液用于紧急输血。这种人造血液的优点在于它不会被HIV病毒、肝炎病毒和疯牛病毒等感染。对于军队而言，人造血可以满足其对大量新鲜血液的需求。

然而，并非所有人都赞同从多余的体外受精胚胎中提取干细胞制造血液。这将势必引起一场巨大的道德争议。

British scientists to create 'synthetic' blood

23 March 2009

Scientists in Britain plan to become the first in the world to produce unlimited amounts of synthetic human blood from embryonic stem cells for emergency infection-free transfusions. It could help to save the lives of anyone from victims of traffic accidents to soldiers on a battlefield.

The project will be led by Professor Marc Turner, of Edinburgh University, the director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.

Scientists in other countries, notably Sweden, France and Australia, are also known to be working on the development of synthetic blood from embryonic stem cells.

The aim is to stimulate embryonic stem cells to develop into mature, oxygen-carrying red blood cells for emergency transfusions. Such blood would have the benefit of not being at risk of being infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis, or the human form of "mad cow" disease. The military in particular needs a constant supply of fresh, universal donor blood for battlefield situations when normal supplies from donors can quickly run out.

But developing blood made from the cells of spare IVF embryos will raise difficult ethical issues for people not happy with the idea of destroying embryos to create stem cells.

（Source: The Independent，英国使馆文化教育处提供）