thebiostories

The Man With the Golden Arm: How James Harrison’s Blood Helped Protect 2.4 Million Babies He survived because strangers donated blood. Then he spent more than 60 years giving his own to protect generations of Australian babies. ⏱ In 30 Seconds ✓ James Harrison donated blood and plasma 1,173 times over more than 60 years. ✓ His plasma contained valuable anti-D antibodies used to help prevent haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. ✓ Lifeblood credits his extraordinary donations with contributing to anti-D protection for millions of Australian babies. ✓ Today, researchers at WEHI and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood are working to reproduce anti-RhD antibodies in the laboratory, reducing future dependence on rare donors. James Harrison spent more than 60 years giving something extraordinary to people he would never meet: his blood . Australian Red Cross Lifeblood estimates that his donations helped protect around 2.4 million babies . ...

How John Gorman’s Anti-D Discovery Saved Millions of Babies — And Why Scientists Are Reinventing It ⏱ In 30 Seconds ✓ Australian physician Dr John Gorman helped develop anti-D immunoglobulin, transforming the prevention of Rh disease and helping save millions of babies. ✓ Before anti-D became available, Gorman recalled that around 10% of neonatal deaths in Melbourne were caused by Rh disease. ✓ Anti-D reveals an extraordinary paradox: the same type of antibody that can destroy an RhD-positive baby's red blood cells can also prevent the immune response that causes the disease. ✓ More than 60 years later, Professor Ian Wicks, Dr Behnaz Heydarchi and researchers at WEHI and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood are developing a recombinant anti-RhD antibody that could reduce dependence on rare human plasma donors. The Story Hidden Inside a Routine Injection For most pregnant women in Australia today, discovering that they are RhD negative is unlikely to cause much alarm. ...