In a recent scientific breakthrough, French researchers have identified a brand-new human blood type found in only one person on the planet.
Known as ‘Gwada Negative’, this newly identified blood group was found in a 68-year-old woman from Guadeloupe.
The blood group was officially recognized at the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) conference held in Milan in June 2025. The blood group is so rare and unusual that it has astonished the global medical community.
It’s the first newly discovered blood group system in years, now officially the 48th blood group recognized globally.
“We had never seen anything like it,” said Thierry Peyrard, the French biologist who led the research, announced at the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Congress in Milan.
This blood group falls under the EMM-negative system. EMM is a high-frequency antigen typically found on the red blood cells of nearly all individuals. Its complete absence in this woman’s blood has left scientists both intrigued and perplexed.
The origins of this discovery date back to 2011, when the woman, originally from Guadeloupe and residing in Paris, underwent a routine blood test prior to surgery. During the screening, doctors detected an unidentified antibody that did not match any known blood group systems.
At the time, technological limitations prevented further classification. It wasn’t until 2019, with the use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology, that scientists were able to reanalyse the preserved sample and identify the unique properties of her blood.
“She is the only person in the world who can get along with herself,” said Thierry Peyrard, a biologist at France’s national blood agency (EFS).
The EFS has discovered 10 of the last 17 known blood group systems, placing France at the forefront of rare blood science.
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The term ‘Gwada Negative’ refers to the total absence of the EMM antigen in the woman’s red blood cells.
According to Dr Thierry Peyrard, the woman inherited mutated genes from both her mother and father. He noted that she is compatible only with her own blood, meaning no existing donor can safely provide her with a transfusion.
