Scientists have discovered the secret behind a very rare blood type called AnWj. They figured out which gene is responsible for it. This discovery will help doctors better understand and care for people with this rare blood type.

When a pregnant woman had her blood sampled back in 1972, doctors discovered it was mysteriously missing a surface molecule found on all other known red blood cells at the time. After 50 years, this strange molecular absence finally led to researchers from the UK and Israel describing a new blood group system in humans.