Scientists Discover a Completely New Blood Type

Researchers person confirmed a wholly caller humor type. Credit: Governo bash Estado de São Paulo / CC BY 2.0

A recently discovered humor benignant has been identified successful a 68-year-old pistillate from Guadeloupe, making her the lone known idiosyncratic successful the satellite with this uncommon classification. Scientists uncovered the unsocial lawsuit during regular testing, marking a large improvement successful the ongoing survey of human humor groups.

The woman, who was surviving successful Paris successful 2011, underwent modular pre-surgery tests. But her results puzzled doctors—her humor didn’t lucifer immoderate known type, and nary compatible donors could beryllium found. At the time, investigating exertion could not explicate the anomaly. The lawsuit was near unresolved for astir a decade.

Researchers reopened the lawsuit successful 2019, utilizing precocious DNA investigation methods to analyse her humor successful greater depth. Over 2 years, the squad sequenced her full genome and recovered the answer: a mutation successful a cistron called PIGZ.

This cistron affects however definite proteins connect to reddish humor cells. Because of this uncommon mutation, her humor does not align with immoderate antecedently known group. Scientists named the recently recognized classification “Gwada negative,” aft a section nickname for Guadeloupe.

A decade-old enigma solved done precocious DNA research

The find was presented astatine the International Society of Blood Transfusion’s Congress successful Milan, which concluded connected June 4. It has since been officially added arsenic the 48th recognized humor radical system.

While astir radical are acquainted with the 8 communal humor types based connected the ABO and Rh systems, the tract is overmuch broader. These 2 systems find whether reddish humor cells person A, B, oregon Rh antigens, which play a captious relation successful transfusions.

But beyond these, dozens of lesser-known systems exist. As of 2024, the planetary blood transfusion assemblage recognizes 45 of them, with Gwada antagonistic present included.

A French woman’s uncommon familial trait has led to the find of a marque caller humor radical – Gwada Negative, present officially recognized arsenic the 48th humor radical strategy by ISBT.

She’s the lone known lucifer for herself. #Health #SriLanka #lka #GwadaNegative #MedicalDiscovery pic.twitter.com/WMdnMDoxDa

— Dr Chandana Wickaramasinghe (@DrChandanaWick) June 25, 2025

Understanding humor types is indispensable due to the fact that our immune systems are designed to cull unfamiliar antigens. If a idiosyncratic receives the incorrect benignant of blood, their assemblage whitethorn respond dangerously.

That’s wherefore matching humor types is captious for harmless transfusions. For instance, radical with AB humor tin judge donations from astir anyone, portion those with benignant O tin lone person humor from different benignant O donors.

Discovery matters for the aboriginal of transfusions

In the lawsuit of the pistillate from Guadeloupe, her mutation means nary 1 other connected grounds tin safely donate to her oregon person her blood. “She is the lone idiosyncratic successful the satellite compatible with herself,” said Thierry Peyrard, a biologist astatine France’s nationalist humor service, Établissement français du sang.

Scientists present anticipation to find others who whitethorn stock this recently discovered humor type. Since humor traits are inherited, the squad plans to hunt among donors successful Guadeloupe, wherever the woman’s ancestry lies.

“Discovering caller humor types means offering patients with uncommon humor a amended level of care,” the nationalist humor bureau said successful a statement.