Patients needing bone marrow transplants or blood transfusions could eventually be treated with blood stem cells grown in a laboratory.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have used blood stem cells from mice to mimic how we produce blood stem cells and were able to multiply them by 150-times.

They hope that their findings, which are published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, will one day lead to efficient production of transplantable blood stem cells that could multiply within the body and help patients renew their blood supply.

Professor Alexander Medvinsky, of the University’s MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: “Blood stem cells can give rise to all different types of blood cells, that all have their own role to play in keeping the body healthy. While we are still a long way off from being able to grow blood stem cells that could be used to treat patients, this is a step forward in the right direction. We hope that understanding further the mechanisms of how blood stem cells are generated in the body will one day enable us to efficiently produce blood stem cells for needs of patients”

The body generates billions of blood cells each day, which are produced by blood stem cells in the bone marrow tissue. These include red blood cells which deliver oxygen to different organs and white blood cells, such as lymphocytes and macrophages, which play an important role in the body’s immune system.

Scientists hope that if they can generate human blood stem cells they could be used to treat patients with types of cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, where high doses of chemotherapy can destroy bone marrow. Blood stem cells could also be transplanted in patients who genetic blood diseases or have lost blood as a result of accidents or surgery, reducing pressure on blood donor supplies.