The ErythroMer artificial blood substitute functions like hemoglobin to save lives and is a hopeful newcomer. This new invention is a big step toward meeting the urgent need for safe and adequate blood substitutes.
(Photo: Getty Images/ Win McNamee)
The Need for Blood Substitutes
ErythroMer is a big step forward in the field of artificial blood substitutes. It was created by Dr. Allan Doctor and his team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. ErythroMer is different from previous tries because it is made of recycled human hemoglobin enclosed in a membrane, making it look and work like natural red blood cells. This new idea could help with the severe lack of blood donors, especially in emergencies and battlefields, where getting blood quickly can mean the difference between life and death.
We can't say enough about the importance of a safe blood substitute. Donor blood can only be stored for 42 days, and even in developed countries with well-run processes for collecting blood, there is often not enough to meet demand.
In January 2022, the American Red Cross announced a national blood crisis, which showed how hard it is to keep enough blood on hand. Hemorrhagic shock, which is caused by losing a lot of blood, kills about 20,000 people a year in the US and 2 million around the world.
ErythroMer: A Promising Solution
ErythroMer is better than regular blood transfusions in several ways. The powder is freeze-dried and can be used for years. It is easy to rehydrate with salt water, which makes it great for use in remote places and emergencies. Also, because it works with all blood types, there is no chance of blood type mismatches, which is a big plus over given blood.
ErythroMer was made by KaloCyte, and Dr. Doctor, co-founder and chief science officer of that company, is positive about its future. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has given a $46 million grant to a group led by the University of Maryland to make ErythroMer the heart of a shelf-stable, field-deployable whole blood substitute. This funding makes the bright future of this creative answer even more clear.
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Getting Past Problems from the Past
Making blood replacements has been very difficult. When hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) were first tried, they often caused serious side effects like high blood pressure and heart problems. The harmful effects were mostly caused by the interaction between the free hemoglobin and nitric oxide, a molecule needed for blood vessels to widen. ErythroMer tries to lower these risks by enclosing hemoglobin in a membrane, similar to how red blood cells naturally behave.
ErythroMer is still in preclinical testing, but it has much promise. The newest information shows that delivering air to animals works well, and soon, there will be tests on humans. ErythroMer's creation fits in with a more significant trend of new ways to make blood replacements that work, such as encapsulated hemoglobin vesicles in Japan and other HBOCs.
People have been looking for a safe and successful blood substitute for more than seven decades because they need to be able to carry oxygen reliably. Even though there are problems, new developments like ErythroMer are giving people in the field new hope. If it works, ErythroMer could change emergency care by giving people a lifeline when regular blood transfusions are not an option.
The discovery of ErythroMer has taken a big step forward in the search for artificial blood replacements. ErythroMer could save many lives by doing the essential things that hemoglobin does and solving long-standing problems. As the study continues and clinical trials start, the hope for a reliable blood substitute that works for everyone becomes more real.
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