Emerging Trends in Artificial Blood

Blood substitutes are currently undergoing preliminary clinical trials to determine their safety. Two distinctly different classes of oxygen carriers are being developed, each capable of transporting and delivering oxygen to peripheral tissues. The delivery of oxygen by these two methodologies may have both benefits and risks which are unique to its class. Early clinical trials have been promising. However, effective use of these blood substitutes may involve using them in conjunction with other techniques such as normovolemic hemodilution to effectively reduce or eliminate the need for transfusions in certain instances. However, this first generation of clinically safe blood substitutes will not replace allogeneic blood transfusions as a means of treating many types of anemia.