By now you must have heard about four blood groups. These are- A, B, AB and O. These blood groups can be negative or positive. Now scientists have solved a 50-year-old mystery by identifying a new blood group. Scientists have named this blood group ‘MAL’. Scientists say that by identifying this blood group, it will be possible to identify those patients who are deficient in this weak blood group.
According to the study, scientists from NHS Blood and Transplant (Bristol), International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) and University of Bristol have identified this rare blood group. The specialty of this blood group is that AnWj antigen is absent in it. Whereas, this antigen is present in 99.9 percent of people. Scientists believe that the lack of this antigen may be due to a specific change in the gene.
Antigen deficiency may be genetic
Scientists say that some people may lack AnWj antigen due to disease. However, its hereditary absence is quite rare. Only a few individuals have been identified worldwide who did not have AnWj antigen at birth. According to scientists, due to this discovery it will become easier to identify people with this condition. The genetic deficiency of this antigen is so rare that only one such family of Arab-Israeli descent has been identified so far.
Antigen was discovered in 1972
According to the information, in 1972, scientists found AnWj antigen missing in the blood sample of a pregnant woman. Then scientists thought that this could be a new blood group. However, its genetic origin was not yet known. Scientists say that 99.9 percent of people have AnWj antigen and it forms MAl protein on red blood cells, but AnWj antigen negative people do not have this protein in their RBCs. Studies have shown that AnWj antigen negative individuals may have many health problems, such as many types of cancer or blood-related diseases.
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