Case details: A 38-year-old woman in Kolar district of Karnataka, South India, was admitted to a hospital for heart surgery. During the examination, doctors identified her blood group as O Rh Positive, which is a common blood group. However, when the need for a blood transfusion arose, surprisingly, none of the units of O positive blood available at the hospital matched her blood. This unusual situation became a mystery to the doctors. The hospital referred the case to the Advanced Immunohematology Reference Laboratory at T.T.K. Blood Centre in Bengaluru for further investigation. The laboratory tested blood samples from 20 members of her family to find a blood match to the woman’s blood, but none were found to match. This situation prompted scientists to conduct further research. As a precaution, the doctors successfully completed the surgery without a blood transfusion. However, in the meantime, blood samples from the woman and her family have been sent to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL) in Bristol, UK, for further analysis. Sent. Scientific research and historic discovery: After ten months of intensive research and molecular testing in a laboratory in Bristol, scientists discovered a completely new antigen, which they named “CRIB”. The presence of this antigen made the woman’s blood group unique from any blood group discovered so far in the world. The discovery was presented at the 35th Regional Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) held in Milan, Italy in June 2025, where it was hailed as a historic achievement by the scientific community. The name of this new blood group, “CRIB”, stands for: C for Cromer (a famous blood group system), R for Raghavendra (the symbolic name of the woman), I for India, and B for Bengaluru. This name not only reflects the geographical significance of this discovery but also attributes it to India’s scientific prowess. Scientific significance: Dr. Ankit Mathur of TTK Blood Centre, Bengaluru, who played a key role in the case, said: “This discovery adds a new dimension to our knowledge of human blood groups. CRIB The presence of the antigen will open new avenues in the field of blood transfusion and medical treatment.” Dr. Neil Awkel of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory called the discovery “an extraordinary scientific milestone.” He said that this antigen indicates the presence of a unique protein on the surface of blood cells, which is different from all known blood group antigens so far. The discovery will help in understanding and solving compatibility problems during blood transfusion. Identity and confidentiality of the woman: In accordance with the principles of scientific research, the identity of the woman has been kept secret, and she has been symbolically named “Raghvendra”. Her family fully supported the discovery, but requested to maintain her confidentiality. Dr. Ankit Mathur said: “This woman is a scientific hero for us. Her blood showed us a new world, but we fully respect her privacy.” Global response: The discovery has surprised the global scientific community. Dr. John Hopkins, President of the American Blood Transfusion Society, said: “India This discovery of CRIB proves that scientific research has no boundaries. CRIB blood group identification can revolutionize the field of blood transfusion.” In an X post, a user wrote: “India has once again shown the world that we are no less than anyone in science. This woman from Karnataka has created history!” Socio-medical implications: This discovery paves the way for making the blood transfusion system safer. It could be a ray of hope, especially for patients with rare blood groups. In a country like India, where anemia and compatibility issues are a major challenge, the identification of CRIB opens up new research possibilities. However, experts caution that large-scale screening will be required in India to identify people with this new blood group. Dr. Ayukkal said: “It is possible that the CRIB blood group is more common in certain regions of South Asia or India, but more research is needed to confirm this.” Source: Times of India: Hindustan Times: The Hindu: India Today: News18: X-Posts: International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Report: