Novel strategies for transporting cellular hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers in the systemic circulation

Abstract

SUMMARY This review focuses on innovative chemical and biomolecular design strategies for engineering cellular hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers with prolonged systemic circulatory half-lives. Traditional lipid formulations used in the self-assembly of liposome encapsulated hemoglobin dispersions are discussed in light of newly designed liposome, nanoparticle and polymersome encapsulated hemoglobin dispersions. The clinical transfusion potential of these cellular HBOCs is discussed in terms of key design parameters such as: particle size distribution, hemoglobin encapsulation efficiency, methemoglobin level, oxygen affinity, cooperativity coefficient, circulation kinetics and biodistribution.