Artificial bone marrow has been created by a University of Michigan lab, which is capable of making continuous red and white blood cells in a test tube.

According to the researchers, via a news release on Tuesday, “The substance could someday provide a continuous supply of blood for transfusions.”

The results can be read online in the journal Biomaterials.

 “The artificial bone marrow grows on a 3-D scaffold that mimics the tissues supporting bone marrow in the body. It is designed to function in a test tube,” said the lead author Nicholas Kotov. He also added, “The bone marrow can replicate blood stem cells and produce B cells, allowing researchers to test how a new drug at certain potencies would affect bone marrow function.”