All Facts You Need To Know About The Newly Discovered Blood Group - Er

By Author: London GP Clinic
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You are looking forward to a blood type test London appointment, this is something you need to be aware of. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when, from the test, it emerges that you belong to the ‘Er’ blood group.

2 Reasons why the discovery of the new blood types is relevant

The discovery of the new blood types is important because:

● It can help in various treatments for the people with uncommon blood types. For instance, should such people require transfusion services, it is now possible to find the right blood for them. Previously, there would be a huge risk of such people being transfused with the wrong blood products. And that would then result in a wide array of complications. That is because when one is transfused with the wrong blood type, their immune systems try destroying the ‘strange’ blood cells. Now if one’s immune system is destroying their blood cells, the end result can be death. This is why it is so important to ensure that when undertaking transfusions, only the right blood types are used. And for people with uncommon blood types, the new discovery helps in identifying the ...
... right blood types to use on them.

● It can help in the management of cases where pregnant mothers’ blood don’t match those of their babies. Such cases arise due to the genes that the babies inherit from their fathers. Now in some cases, if a baby’s blood type is different from that of her mother, the mother’s immune system may start attacking the baby’s blood cells. The end result can be tragic.

On another note, the discovery of the new blood group opens the possibility of finding even more others in the future. It breaks the long-held thinking that one must belong to blood groups A, B, AB, and O.

The criteria for naming the newly discovered blood types

The name of the newly discovered blood group is simply ‘Er’. That stands for erantigens. As was the case with the old blood groups, the new one is named primarily on the basis of the antigens found on it.

Now in the ‘Er’ or erantigens blood group, there are 5 blood types. The criterion for giving names to these 5 blood types is that of Piezo1 protein variations. The said Piezo1 protein is located on the red blood cells’ surfaces. So it is the variations of it that form the basis for naming the 5 blood types under the erantigens blood group.

It is interesting to note that the Piezo1 protein’s name is itself of Greek origin. It would appear that in the Greek language, ‘Piezo’ is a word that refers to pressure. The said protein plays a key role in the body. It is responsible for the function of the vascular system blood flow control. It also helps in some of the essential life-sustaining processes that take place in the kidney as well as in the lungs.

Thus the long and short of it is that there are some variations in that Piezo1 protein. And it is on account of those variations that the 5 blood types which make up the Er group get their various names.

All said and done, if you go for a blood group test London appointment, the results may reveal that you belong to Er blood group. You can then be informed about the specific blood type (within the Er blood group) that you have. And you would then know that this is on account of Piezo1 protein variations.

How common are the newly discovered blood types?

It would seem that the newly discovered blood types are not very common. Thus most people still belong to the old, well-known blood groups: A, B, AB, and O. However, there are those (few) who belong to the Er blood group. For those people, the discovery of the new blood group is key. That is because previously, such people would have ended up being classified under blood types they didn’t really belong to.

Understanding the nature of research that led to the discovery of the new blood types

The research that led to the discovery of the new blood types focused on two major areas. The first is of DNA sequencing. And the second area is that of gene editing. This is ultimately what led the researchers, led by Vanja Karamatic, to discover the new (Er) blood group. That in turn led to adding the 5 blood types in this particular group.

The journal in which the research findings were published is known as ‘Blood’. It is run by the American Hematology Society. But the lead scientist for the team that discovered the new blood types (Vanja Karamatic) is based in the UK, at Bristol.

ow to know if you belong to the newly discovered blood group

The way to know if you belong to the newly discovered blood group is by going for blood type testing. Thus you can book a blood group test London appointment for this purpose. But you need to understand that the Er blood group is uncommon. The higher probability is that of you being found to belong to the old blood groups. Those are A, B, AB, and O. But there is also the remote possibility of you being found to belong to the Er blood group. The testing would further reveal which of the 5 blood types under Er blood group you specifically belong to.

A scientist may, however, still be in the process of developing and refining the tests for the new blood types. Therefore if you find that your testing center doesn’t have the capacity to check for these new blood types, you need to be a little patient.

In due course, there are bound to be simple and easily available tests for the new blood types.

Do you need to book a blood type test London appointment? Our London GP Clinic does offer blood type testing services.

Visit for more information - https://www.londongpclinic.co.uk/

London GP Clinic is a reputed private clinic settled in the heart of city, Harley Street. Our walk in clinic is served by top GPs who will guide, treat and advise you regarding your health complications. We have high quality medical facilities to diagnose the patients’ health as per the medical history. At our clinic, you can perform liver blood test at affordable costs. We provide sick notes, prescriptions and referral letters (specialist referrals) to the patients without taking any extra charge.