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Published online 19 November 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1241
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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.
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