Progress on blood substitutes

Blood substitutes based on nanobiotechnology.

Stimulated by concerns of potential infective agents in donated blood, commercial enterprises have attempted to develop blood substitutes since the 1900s. After several years of development, a few of the many leads are showing promise. In this article, nanobiotechnological approaches that are now in phase III clinical trials are reviewed, followed by a discussion of how important basic knowledg...

Blood substitutes

Blood substitutes have long been sought after, and artificial oxygen carriers may soon become a reality. Despite increased safety of allogeneic blood in terms of transmission of infectious diseases [1], avoiding allogeneic blood transfusions remains an important goal in perioperative and intensive care medicine. This is because allogeneic blood transfusions may cause immunosuppression with an i...

Blood and blood substitutes.

Each year, in Europe, approximately seven million units of colloidal plasma substitutes are given to patients. Often they are used uncritically, which may account for the increased incidence of sideeffects which has been noted over the last decade. Their increasing use is understandable in view of the disadvantages of using blood; these include the difficulties in finding sufficient donors of a...

Physiological properties of blood substitutes.

Blood substitutes (modified hemoglobin solutions, perfluorocarbon emulsions) serve as artificial oxygen carriers and are alternatives to blood transfusions. Hemoglobin solutions mimic the sigmoidal oxygen dissociation curve of natural blood. Perfluorocarbon emulsions exhibit a linear relation between PO2 and dissolved oxygen. The most advanced substances may enter medicine in few years.

The search for blood substitutes.