Dr. Julia Gutjahr's groundbreaking research at Queen Mary University of London has significantly advanced our understanding of how mammals produce red blood cells, potentially enabling scalable production of artificial blood.

In her studies, Gutjahr identified the chemokine CXCL12 as a crucial molecular signal that prompts red blood cell precursors to expel their nuclei, a vital step in red blood cell development.

The researchers demonstrated that by adding CXCL12 to erythroblasts at the right moment, they could artificially induce the expulsion of the nucleus, showcasing a novel approach to blood cell development.

This nucleus expulsion occurs during the final stage of an erythroblast's transformation into an erythrocyte, allowing for increased space for hemoglobin, which is essential for oxygen transport.

Professor Antal Rot emphasized the broader implications of this research, noting that it provides new insights into how chemokine receptors function both on the cell surface and internally, potentially reshaping our understanding of cell biology.

The findings of this study were published in the journal Science Signalling, marking a significant advancement in the field of blood cell research and its potential medical applications.