An Israeli biotech startup is developing technology it says could revolutionize the global blood supply by producing universal red blood cells from stem cells on an industrial scale.
RedC Biotech, founded by Dr. Ari Gargir, is working to cultivate red blood cells in large bioreactors, potentially generating hundreds of transfusion-ready units at a time. The company’s goal is to provide a reliable and cost-effective supply of blood to hospitals worldwide, bypassing the limits of human donation.
(Director: Assaf Kuzin, Video: Tal Shahar, Video Editor: Coral Kott Markowitz)
“In advanced countries like Israel, Europe and the Far East, there are transient shortages, occasional shortages,” Gargir said. “In less advanced countries and regions, there are great shortages, and many people die from insufficient blood or blood that is not at the right standards.”
The process begins with stem cells, which can divide and expand indefinitely under the right conditions. “If they’re getting the right cues and the right signals, they can become every cell type in the body,” Gargir explained. “The vision is that one day we’re going to be producing in very large bioreactors, thousands of liters at a time. Each one of these vessels will produce hundreds of blood units, which will be harvested, tested, packed, and sent to hospitals around the world.”
The company’s lead scientist, Dr. Oren Inzelberg Yifa, a specialist in stem cell cultivation, said the project immediately drew him in. “I read about the company and saw that it was something that interested me,” he said. “This is something I can contribute to with my knowledge.”
For Gargir, the mission is personal. “Thirty-five years ago, when I was a biology student, I went paragliding and I crashed and I lost a lot of blood,” he recalled. “A blood transfusion like this saved my life.”
He said the technology could save millions. “You won’t need any donor. You will have one blood type that can fit everybody,” Gargir said. “About 2 million people die around the world from blood loss every year. If we can make blood available everywhere and at every time, we can save many of those lives.”
Inside RedC’s laboratory, stem cells are stored at temperatures below minus 150 degrees Celsius. When thawed and cultivated, each dot visible on a culture plate represents a single cell that grows into millions. “The potential is endless,” Inzelberg Yifa said.
RedC Biotech is now working to scale up its operations, with plans to progress toward preclinical and clinical trials and eventually full-scale manufacturing. The company envisions factories worldwide producing universal red blood cells under local regulations to ensure reliable access in regions most affected by shortages.