Osaka Researchers Generate Red Blood Cell-Like Cells From Canine iPSCs

Veterinary medicine has long faced a logistical hurdle: while blood transfusions are a critical life-saving procedure, the industry lacks the widespread blood bank systems available in human medicine. Most veterinary transfusions rely entirely on donations from healthy dogs, a process complicated by the fact that dogs possess distinct blood types, making compatible matches difficult to secure in emergency situations.

Developing Canine iPSC-Derived Blood Cells

A research team led by Professor Shingo Hatoya at the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Veterinary Science has moved to bridge this gap. Working in collaboration with TOKIWA-Bio Inc., the group utilized canine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to create a protocol for producing red blood cell-like cells in the laboratory. The research, published on July 20, 2026, in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, mimics the natural embryonic development of blood cells by culturing iPSCs as clusters.

To confirm the identity of the generated cells, the researchers utilized CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to target glycophorin A (GYPA), a protein that serves as a specific marker for red blood cells. By engineering the cells to fluoresce green when GYPA is expressed, the team was able to visualize the differentiation process in real time. According to miragenews.com, the optimized conditions resulted in more than 96% of the analyzed cells expressing this marker.

For more on this story, see Solid-State Battery Breakthrough Identifies Root Causes of Cell Failure.

Maturation Hurdles and Clinical Limitations

Despite the high rate of marker expression, the current protocol does not yet produce cells suitable for immediate clinical use. The primary challenge lies in enucleation—the natural process where a developing red blood cell sheds its nucleus to become functional. In a mature mammalian red blood cell, this step is essential for oxygen transport and long-term survival within the circulatory system.

“The cells generated in this study are not yet fully mature red blood cells suitable for transfusion. Only about 3% of the cells underwent enucleation, a key feature of mature mammalian red blood cells. Future studies will focus on improving the generation of functional red blood cells and understanding differences among cell lines.”

Professor Shingo Hatoya, Osaka Metropolitan University

As Newsy Today noted, the researchers are now prioritizing ways to increase this enucleation rate. Understanding the nuances of different cell lines remains a key component of their upcoming work to ensure the cells can eventually function within a patient’s body.

Translational Potential for Human Medicine

Beyond the immediate veterinary applications, the study carries implications for human regenerative medicine. Because human and canine physiology share significant similarities, dogs are frequently used as translational models to test stem cell therapies. The successful generation of hemoglobin-containing cells from canine iPSCs provides a new platform for researchers to study blood disorders and the potential for synthetic blood alternatives.