In a landmark achievement in transfusion medicine, researchers have isolated the globe's most uncommon blood group antigen, referred to as CRIB, from the blood of a 38-year-old Kolar district woman near Bengaluru, Karnataka. This groundbreaking revelation, made public in 2025, was the first-ever report of this new blood group antigen on the planet and has far-reaching meanings for blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and immunogenetics across the world.
The Discovery of CRIB
The CRIB blood group was found on a cardiac operation at Kolar hospital when the physicians observed a mystifying anomaly: despite having been typed as having the widespread O-positive blood group, the woman's blood responded negatively to all compatible O-positive donor samples. Not even 20 of her immediate family members' blood matched. The panreactive response of the blood meant an entirely unexpected blood antigen profile.
Suspecting something unprecedented, patient blood samples were drawn and sent to the Advanced Immunohematology Reference Laboratory at Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre and later on, to International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) in the UK, a premier global authority.
Following 10 months of intense genetic and serological screening, scientists verified that the lady's red blood cells contained an as yet unrecognized antigen in the Cromer blood group system, which involves proteins on the red cell surface crucial to immune compatibility.
In order to pay tribute to the antigen's place and discovery, it was given the name CRIB, an acronym formed from:
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CR: Cromer (the blood group system)
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I: India
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B: Bangalore (close to Kolar, the discovery location)
What Is So Special About CRIB?
Her body lacks the CRIB antigen, and its absence makes her immune system see all known donor blood types as foreign to it.
It means that her blood is incompatible with almost all of the tested blood types across the world, including the universally acclaimed O-positive blood type.
So far, she doesn't know anywhere in the world which has a compatible donor with the CRIB blood group, so blood transfusion is not easy for her at all.
The finding discredits current blood grouping systems and reveals the extent to which even commonly accepted blood group classification is not exhaustive.
Clinical and Scientific Relevance
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Transfusion Medicine: CRIB alters blood compatibility guidelines, advocating the necessity of ultra-rare blood donor panels and specialized antibody test kits designed to identify such defects.
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Organ Transplantation: The singularity of the antigen affects graft compatibility and transplant security, encouraging more individualized immunogenetic profiling.
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Genetic Diversity and Screening: The identification of CRIB highlights the need for improved methodological advances in molecular screening in genetically diverse populations like that of India to identify blood group variants that cannot be recognized by traditional methods.
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Rare Donor Registries: Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre has led the way to an institutionally established Rare Donor Registry with Karnataka State Blood Transfusion Council, Indian Institute of Hematology, and international experts to identify and manage rare blood types to improve healthcare readiness.
The Patient's Journey So Far
Despite the lack of a compatible blood type, the woman underwent successful cardiac surgery without needing a transfusion during the procedure. Her case was handled with meticulous care by hematologists and transfusion specialists who coordinated across continents to identify her rare blood profile and ensure her survival.
Dr. Ankit Mathur from Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre remarked, “Her blood was panreactive to every sample tested. This discovery challenges the very foundation of existing transfusion science and opens new horizons for medicine.”
Global Recognition
The finding of CRIB was officially announced at the 35th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in Milan, Italy, during June 2025. The international scientific community welcomed the discovery of CRIB as a grand milestone, the first new blood group antigen incorporated in the Cromer system in decades.
Implications for Future Healthcare
Investment in genetic blood typing and molecular diagnostics is critical to uncovering other ultra-rare blood groups.
Enhanced awareness and training of healthcare professionals in recognizing atypical or panreactive blood cases will improve transfusion safety.
Creation of global rare blood donor registries will facilitate quicker identification of compatible donors, potentially saving lives in emergencies.
The case also brings into focus the necessity of studies on how such unusual blood groups could impact pregnancy, hemolytic disease, and immune reactions.
The identification of the CRIB blood group antigen in a Bangalore woman is a milestone moment that turns the tide in the field of transfusion medicine and immunogenetics. It emphasizes India's increased contributions to international medical science and creates new avenues for enhancing blood safety, matching donors, and individualized medicine globally. This discovery not only raises hope for patients with unusual blood types but also underscores the ongoing enigmas still possessed by human biology yet to be revealed.
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