Blood Donor in Australia Affected Millions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the contributions of James Harrison, an Australian blood donor known for his unique antibody that helps prevent Rh factor complications in pregnancies. Participants explore the implications of his donations, the potential for developing monoclonal antibodies from his blood, and the broader impact on public health.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight James Harrison's record of 1,100 blood donations and his unique antibody's role in preventing severe complications in pregnancies.
  • There is a suggestion that human monoclonal antibodies could be developed from Harrison's blood, although details on the process remain unclear.
  • One participant references ongoing research efforts to create a synthetic version of the antibody, noting that previous attempts have failed.
  • Another participant expresses hope for the success of research initiatives aimed at utilizing Harrison's DNA to create a library of monoclonal antibodies.
  • There is a humorous misunderstanding regarding the thread title, with one participant initially interpreting it as "Infected Millions," which they later correct to reflect the positive nature of the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the significance of James Harrison's contributions to blood donation and public health, but there is no consensus on the feasibility or current status of developing monoclonal antibodies from his blood.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the lack of detailed understanding regarding the methods for creating human monoclonal antibodies and the unresolved status of synthetic antibody development.

BillTre
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Here is a CNN article about James Harrison, a guy in Australia, who started donating blood when he was 14 (after he had an operation and required blod transfusions).
He has aged out of being acceptable for donating blood at 81. He is considered the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) Australian blood donor with 1,100 donations.
It was found out he had an antibody that could be used (in pregnant mothers) to prevent Rh factor based immune attacks on developing fetuses which can result in death or brain damage of the resulting babies.

It would be nice to have such a positive impact on the world.
he says:
"It's something I can do. It's one of my talents, probably my only talent, is that I can be a blood donor."

I hope someone tries to make some human monoclonal antibodies from him, which would perpetuate the production of the antibody. Making mouse monoclonals requires removing the spleen. I'm not clear on the details of how human monoclonals are made, perhaps they can use peripheral blood and leave the spleen alone.
 
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It is because of people like James Harrison that humanity is still surviving.

Regarding the monoclonal antibodies, we can only hope that someone is researching and will succeed soon.
 
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Wrichik Basu said:
It is because of people like James Harrison that humanity is still surviving.

Regarding the monoclonal antibodies, we can only hope that someone is researching and will succeed soon.

There seems to be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rho(D)_immune_globulin.

However, https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/f...-save-2-4-million-babies-20180511-p4zerp.html states: "Attempts to create a synthetic version has so far failed. The Blood Service recently started a three year research project to harvest Mr Harrison’s DNA and create a library of his monoclonals – the cocktail of antibodies and white blood cells that herald a promising new phase in the Anti-D program."
 
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Somehow, the thread title registered in my brains as "Infected Millions". :eek:

So good to see that the true story was so much better! Wow, I also hope some long term replication of this can be done.
 
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