title: From artificial red blood cells, oxygen carriers, and oxygen therapeutics to artificial cells, nanomedicine, and beyond.
abstract: The first experimental artificial red blood cells have all three major functions of red blood cells (rbc). However, the first practical one is a simple polyhemoglobin (PolyHb) that only has an oxygen-carrying function. This is now in routine clinical use in South Africa and Russia. An oxygen carrier with antioxidant functions, PolyHb-catalase-superoxide dismutase, can fulfill two of the three functions of rbc. Even more complete is one with all three functions of rbc in the form of PolyHb-catalase-superoxide dismutase-carbonic anhydrase. The most advanced ones are nanodimension artificial rbc with either PEG-lipid membrane or PEG-PLA polymer membrane. Extensions into oxygen therapeutics include a PolyHb-tyrosinase that suppresses the growth of melanoma in a mice model. Another is a PolyHb-fibrinogen that is an oxygen carrier with platelet-like function. Research has now extended well beyond the original research on artificial rbc into many areas of artificial cells. These include nanoparticles, nanotubules, lipid vesicles, liposomes, polymer-tethered lipid vesicles, polymersomes, microcapsules, bioencapsulation, nanocapules, macroencapsulation, synthetic cells, and others. These are being used in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, enzyme/gene therapy, cell/stem cell therapy, biotechnology, drug delivery, hemoperfusion, nanosensers, and even by some groups in agriculture, industry, aquatic culture, nanocomputers, and nanorobotics.
authors.affiliation: Artificial Cells and Organs Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. artcell.med@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Thomas M S
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058045:Artificial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D001802:Blood Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001802:Blood Substitutes; D006454:Hemoglobins; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; C542623:monomethoxypolyethyleneglycol-polylactide block copolymer; C525511:polyhemoglobin-fibrinogen; C491833:polyhemoglobin-tyrosinase; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002374:Catalase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C086134:polyhemoglobin-superoxide dismutase-catalase; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases; D010100:Oxygen