From hemoglobin based oxygen carrier to oxygen therapeutics, blood substitutes, nanomedicine and artificial cells

Abstract

Hemoglobin (Hb), a tetrameric protein, is responsible for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells (Perutz 1980). Attempts to use hemolysate (Amberson 1937) and stroma-free Hb as Hb based oxygen carrier (Rabiner et al. 1967) resulted in nephrotoxicity and cardiovascular adverse effects (Savitsky et al. 1978). Thus, nanobiotechnological modification is needed before it can be used (Chang 1964)