Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery with the identification of a new blood group system, MAL, solving a medical mystery that has puzzled researchers for more than five decades. This newly discovered blood group sheds light on the previously elusive AnWj antigen, opening doors to better care for individuals with rare blood types. The research article was published in Blood, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Society of Hematology.
How was the new blood group discovered? In 1972, a pregnant woman’s blood sample revealed a strange anomaly: it lacked a surface molecule, or antigen, found in all other known blood types. This mystery persisted for 50 years until a research team from UK’s NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in collaboration with the University of Bristol finally solved it. The researchers identified the AnWj antigen as part of a new blood group system, named MAL, marking it the 47th known blood group system.
“This represents a huge achievement and the culmination of a long team effort to finally establish this new blood group system and be able to offer the best care to rare, but important, patients,” Louise Tilley, Senior Research Scientist at NHSBT, said in a press release. Tilley, who has worked on this project for nearly 20 years, highlighted the significance of the discovery, noting that it will allow for more precise identification and treatment of patients with rare blood types. How did the AnWj Antigen lead to the MAL .