American company plans to create blood that can cure diseases

Biotech company Rubius Therapeutics plans to develop a treatment using red blood cells,FuturismThe new method is essentially a “super blood” because experts will use red blood cells instead of chemicals or synthetic substances, according to Torben Straight Nissen, CEO of Rubius Therapeutics.

The company plans to add a protein to red blood cells that can be engineered to treat a specific disease. They would then be infused into the body and begin the healing process. The super blood would make up less than 1% of a patient’s total blood volume.

Rubius Therapeutics initially wanted to develop a super-blood treatment that could replace missing enzymes in people with rare diseases, as well as treat cancer and autoimmune disorders like lupus and type 1 diabetes. The company said it would only need one donor with type O- blood to create enough doses to treat hundreds to thousands of different patients.

Rubius Therapeutics raised $120 million from investors to develop the approach last year and has just received another $100 million. “The additional funding further strengthens the company and allows us to accelerate the development of our first red blood cell therapy products targeting enzyme deficiencies, cancer and autoimmune diseases,” Nissen said.

However, the company's new red blood cell treatment may still have to go through a long development and testing process before it can be widely applied.