New blood group discovered: Never-seen-before blood type found in Indian woman

New blood group ‘CRIB’ discovered in Bengaluru (Representational Image: Canva)

A woman from South India has entered medical history. Doctors in Bengaluru identified a blood group never seen before. The rare discovery was confirmed after ten months of tests.

The 38-year-old woman, admitted for heart surgery last year, carried this unknown antigen. Her O Positive blood reacted with all tested samples. This alerted doctors to an unusual and complex case.

How a surgery led to the blood group discovery

The case began at R.L. Jalappa Hospital in Kolar district. Surgeons requested compatible blood before her heart procedure. However, no matching units could be found at the hospital.

Her sample was sent to Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre. Experts found it ‘panreactive’, meaning incompatible with all standard matches. Tests on 20 family members also found no suitable donors.

Doctors managed her surgery without transfusion using alternate methods. She recovered well, avoiding any immediate blood complications. In future, she may require autologous transfusion for any surgery.

What is CRIB and why it matters to science

Samples were sent to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory. Located in Bristol, UK, the lab studied her case for 10 months. Scientists there found a new antigen in the Cromer system.

They named it ‘CRIB’, combining Cromer and India Bengaluru. This marks the first time this antigen has been seen globally. The finding was formally announced in Milan in June 2025.

According to ISBT guidelines, she is now the first known carrier. The Rotary team says this highlights India’s role in blood research. Their rare donor programme now includes over 2,100 regular donors.

Of those, 21 have rare blood types including D-- and Rh null. The centre is working to build a registry for rare donors. This may improve access for patients with uncommon blood needs.