title: The Reactivity of Polymersome Encapsulated Hemoglobin with Physiologically Important Gaseous Ligands: Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide and Nitric Oxide.
abstract: Two distinct preparations of amphiphilic diblock copolymer vesicles (i.e. polymersomes), composed of (poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butadiene)) (PEO-PBD), with molecular weights of 1.8 kDa and 10.4 kDa, offering different hydrophobic membrane thicknesses, were used to encapsulate the oxygen (O(2)) storage and transport protein hemoglobin (Hb) for possible application as a red blood cell (RBC) substitute. Key biophysical properties as well as the kinetics of polymersome encapsulated Hb (PEH) interaction with physiologically important gaseous ligands (O(2), carbon monoxide and nitric oxide) were measured as a function of the hydrophobic membrane thickness of the PEH particle. Taken together, the results of this work show that PEHs exhibit biophysical properties and retarded ligand binding/release kinetics (compared to cell-free Hb), which are similar to the behavior of RBCs. Therefore, PEHs have the potential to serve as safe and efficacious RBC substitutes for use in transfusion medicine.
authors.affiliation: William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 425 Koffolt Laboratories, 140 West 19  Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Shahid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rameez
authors.forename: Uddyalok
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Andre F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Palmer