News

Blood group genotyping now available for patients in England

25th Sep 2024

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Patients in England with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia can now access the new blood group genotyping test, developed by the Blood transfusion Genomics Consortium. The test will be used by the National Health Service in England for a blood group genotyping programme.

Although there are already blood group genotyping techniques in use for patients, this particular test is revolutionary, in the way that it can test for red cell, platelet, HLA (tissue types) and neutrophil groups, and has been designed to identify some of the rarer blood groups seen in Black people.

The machine can test 3,000 samples per week, meaning that it can be deployed at scale in the blood donor population. This is particularly important for those with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia, who often need blood transfusions and often have these rare blood groups.

The UK is the first country where patients can access the new genomic blood test, following extensive review from the national regulator, which has deemed the test safe and effective for this use. The authorisation is subject to monitoring via a monthly summary report providing details of any adverse incidents whilst in use.

As a similar project in the donor population rolls out, patients who have the test may benefit from better matching blood transfusions in the future, increasing the clinical effectiveness of the transfusion and reducing the risk of side effects.

NHS England (NHSE) has provided initial programme funding for the genomic test to be performed for patients with sickle cell disorder, thalassaemia, and people with transfusion dependent rare inherited anaemias.

Thanks to the support of NHSE, the test is currently available for these patients in England as part of their normal clinical carepath. Blood samples are sent to the NHSBT centre in Bristol for testing.

Blood transfusions are commonly used to treat rare inherited blood disorders, and it is common practice that blood is matched for the four main blood types (A, B, O, and AB) and for the groups of the RH system, and for the K group.

There are, however, many other groups for which blood is not routinely matched. As a consequence, patients who receive transfusions can form antibodies against blood groups for which matching is currently not routine. These antibodies can cause severe, and even life-threatening, reactions to future transfusions.

Patients with antibodies may experience delays to treatment due to the difficulty in finding enough units of suitably matched blood.

The new test covers 56 blood group types, in addition to tissue, or HLA, types. The information about the HLA types allows doctors to explore whether their patients are eligible for offering a curative treatment, either by stem cell transplantation or gene therapy.

To help patients and clinicians understand the benefits of the new test, we have produced a short educational film following two patients as they meet the scientists and doctors responsible for its development. You can see the trailer here

and watch the full film here: Blood Group Genotyping: The DNA Revolution for Transfusion Care.