Life Tips 23/06/2025 17:57

Major breakthrough: Scientists have identified a new bl0od type, found in only one individual worldwide

A woman from Guadeloupe has been identified as the only person in the world with a completely new blood type
The French Blood Agency (EFS) announced on June 21 that a woman from Guadeloupe is the only person in the world known to possess a completely new blood type. This blood type, named "Gwada Negative," is the 48th officially recognized globally.
"She is the only person in the world who is compatible with herself for blood transfusions," said Thierry Peyrard, a medical biologist at EFS.

In 2011, during routine pre-surgery tests, doctors discovered an unusual antibody in her blood. This led experts to suspect the existence of an unknown blood type. However, due to limited resources at the time, they were unable to fully characterize this rare blood type.
It wasn't until 2019, with advancements in high-throughput DNA sequencing technology, that the EFS research team was able to decode the genetic makeup and confirm that this was indeed a previously unidentified blood type. The woman, then 54 years old and living in Paris, is believed to have inherited this unique blood type from both her parents, each carrying a rare mutation.
The name "Gwada Negative" was chosen to reflect her Caribbean (Guadeloupe) heritage and because it "sounds appealing in any language," according to Peyrard.
EFS confirmed that the new blood type was officially recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) at a conference in Milan. Before this discovery, ISBT had only recognized 47 blood group systems.
According to EFS, identifying blood types is crucial to ensuring safety in blood transfusions and organ transplants. For patients with rare blood types, this discovery not only holds scientific significance but also improves medical care for them.
EFS has been responsible for discovering 10 of the 17 blood group systems recognized in the last decade. The first blood type was discovered by Karl Landsteiner in the early 20th century, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the critical role blood type classification plays in determining compatibility between donors and recipients. In this context, discoveries like "Gwada Negative" broaden modern medicine's understanding of the biological diversity in the human immune system.
"Identifying new blood types helps improve treatment for patients with rare blood types," EFS highlighted in its press release.
The research team continues to search for similar cases worldwide, although the likelihood of finding another person with the "Gwada Negative" blood type is extremely low.

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