Blood transfusion safety and blood shortages continue to pose significant challenges in clinical practice. Recently, a breakthrough was made by a research team led by Professor Wu Guoqiu, Director of the Department of Medical Laboratory at Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University. The team identified two synergistic enzymes derived from the intestinal bacterium Flavonifractor plautii, which can catalyze the conversion of red blood cell (RBC) types into the “universal” O-type RBC.

This research has been published in the prestigious international journal Experimental Hematology & Oncology (SCI Q1). The first authors of the paper include Dr. Zhou Meiling, a postdoctoral researcher at Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University; Luo Kaishan, a doctoral student at Southeast University Medical School; and Su Chao from the Institute of Life and Health Sciences, Southeast University. The corresponding authors are Professor Han Pengcheng from the Institute of Life and Health Sciences, Southeast University, and Professor Wu Guoqiu from Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University.

This study provides critical structural insights into the clinical application of A-to-O blood type conversion, paving the way for the preparation of “universal” O-type RBCs for transfusions and advancing disease-related research.

Nanjing, with its rich talent pool in medical research, remains committed to driving key breakthroughs in medical science. This achievement offers new hope for addressing global challenges in blood transfusion safety and supply.