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A group of French researchers have discovered a new, "ultra rare" blood group in a Guadeloupean woman after years of researching and sequencing her blood, the French Blood Establishment (EFS) said in a Friday press release.
Newsweek has reached out to the EFS press team for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
The discovery marks the 48th known blood group system in the world. Understanding blood types is critical for ensuring safe and effective transfusions and organ transplants, as well as identifying certain health risks.
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"In the event of transfusion, a patient who lacks a high-frequency antigen and who receives a transfusion could then develop the antibody corresponding to his or her rare blood type, necessitating the mandatory use of compatible as his or her own. To date, there are around 200 known rare blood types in humans, some much rarer than others, and in extreme cases with only one known individual in the world to date, which appeared to be the case of our recent discovery," Thierry Peyrard, a medical biologist at the EFS involved in the discovery, told Newsweek via email.
Blood classification helps medical providers determine compatibility—or lack thereof—between donors and recipients. There are approximately 14 million units of blood transfused annually in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Outside of the well-known ABO system, there are a series of rare blood groups.
What To Know
In a social media post on LinkedIn, the EFS said in French that "this discovery was officially recognized in early June in Milan by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT)."
The woman is the only known carrier of a rare blood type called "Gwada negative." The case first drew attention in 2011 when she required "pre-transfusion testing," in which it was discovered that "the patient was virtually incompatible with everyone," Peyrard told Newsweek.
Researchers later revisited her case in 2019 and identified the unique blood type through further analysis.
Peyrard told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a "very unusual" antibody was found in the patient's blood in 2011. She was 54 years old at the time when she underwent a series of tests before surgery, according to Le Monde. Due to limited resources at the time, research into her blood type had been halted.
Peyrard said the woman inherited the blood type from her parents who had the mutated gene.
EFS, in French, said that the discovery "brings hope to patients, especially those with a rare blood type. Remember that the safety of a transfusion depends on the compatibility of blood groups."
The group says it has been responsible for identifying 10 of the past 17 blood group systems discovered in the past decade. Karl Landsteiner discovered the first blood groups in the early 1900s and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his work.
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What People Are Saying
The official Nobel Prize account posted on X, formerly Twitter, on June 17: "The discovery of blood groups completely changed the view on blood transfusions, and it didn't take long before the first successful attempts were carried out. During WWI, blood transfusions were first performed on a large scale. Countless lives were also saved through surgeries, which previously had been unfeasible due to the blood loss involved."
What Happens Next?
Scientists continue to study blood types, advancing global health care and improving the precision and effectiveness of transfusions.
Peyrard said once they identify other individuals with the rare blood type, "we will freeze their blood (at -80 degrees Celsius), that can be stored for 30 years. That way, if one day a patient needs this exceptional type of blood, we can thaw it and send it to be further transfused, anywhere and anytime, in France or in the world."
Update 6/27/25, 5:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Peyrard.
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