Erythromer
02. August 2024 17:43 Robert Klatt
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Blood reserves can save lives, but are often in short supply. A new powder-based instant blood can solve this problem by replacing red blood cells (erythrocytes) in cases of severe blood loss.
Baltimore (U.S.A.). Blood donations save many people’s lives in modern medicine. Because there is not always enough donor blood available, scientists have long been working on alternatives, including “artificial blood” produced from stem cells, which people recently received for the first time. Now the company Kalocyte presented its instant blood Erythromer. It is a freeze-dried powder with tiny fat bubbles that contain the iron-containing blood pigment hemoglobin. In people’s blood, these fat bubbles are supposed to replace red blood cells (erythrocytes).
In the human body, erythrocytes are responsible for transporting oxygen. If blood loss exceeds 1.5 liters, the organs and tissue no longer receive enough oxygen and permanent damage and death can occur. To investigate the effectiveness of instant blood, the researchers carried out experiments with mice and rabbits. They were given the powder, which had previously only been mixed with water. The animals then survived a blood loss of between 50 and 75 percent.
Hemoglobin from old blood
To produce the powder, which has a shelf life of two years, Kalocyte uses hemoglobin from old blood units. The company coats the hemoglobin with a self-developed fatty membrane on which there are no erythrocyte surface proteins. Normally, the proteins determine the blood group. Erythromer is therefore a universal preparation that is suitable for people with all blood groups.
The fatty coating of the instant blood is permeable to oxygen so that the fat bubbles in the lungs can absorb oxygen. A sensor molecule detects the higher pH value in the lungs and then initiates the absorption of oxygen. The oxygen is then released again in the tissue and organs.
Development of a whole blood product
In the coming years, Kalocyte plans to test the safety of Erythromer in clinical trials with human subjects. The company also recently received a $46.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a synthetic whole blood product that will contain artificial red blood cells, freeze-dried plasma, and artificial platelets.
