Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 19 November 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1241
News
Rhesus protein stops blood becoming acidic
Blood-group-factor family has a role in pH control.
A protein similar to the Rhesus factor antigens that are used to determine the safety of blood transfusions removes acid from the blood and could have a role in regulating pH elsewhere in the body, too1.
The discovery, by Anna Maria Marini at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium and her colleagues, could lead to new treatments for one type of kidney disorder and may even help to tackle some forms of male infertility.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email webadmin@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
There are currently no comments.