Producing a safe blood substitute to replace transfusions is fraught with problems, according to a report titled Blood Substitutes: Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers, written by Dr. Jerrold H. Levy of the Emory University School of Medicine and Emory Healthcare and released by the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) concurs, saying that while sophisticated high-tech systems have been developed to produce artificial blood in large quantities, unexpected toxicities have been observed in clinical trials with the substitutes, called hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs). NIH emphasizes that there’s a need for more basic research to address fundamental questions concerning HBOCs, including interactions with the immune system and an increased risk of heart attack.

Despite developmental setbacks, efforts to produce a safe blood substitute continue because the benefits would be enormous. These include, for example:

• Longer shelf life

• Easier storage and transport

• Fast and flexible stabilization of trauma patients

• Less risk of transmission of bloodborne diseases

• Fewer allergic reactions

• Reduced need for compatibility testing

• More widespread availability and more consistent supply

“Developing a safe blood substitute has been a goal of medical researchers for decades,” states ACSH.

Research was prompted largely by the wars that plagued the twentieth century and the desperate need for blood to treat battlefield injuries.

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