Silicon exoskeletons for blood cells: Engineered blood cells successfully transfused between species

The growing need to expand the blood supply is now driving technological approaches, including advances in blood preservation and storage.

Kredit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain.The researchers of the new study report a method for biocompatible blood silicification, which they call shielding-augmenting RBC-in-nanoscale amorphous silica, or SARNAS for short.

The technique is a surface engineering and structure augmentation for red blood cells that essentially endows them with nanoscale silica-based exoskeletons. They conducted a number of in vivo studies and reported excellent biocompatibility, as well as 100% cryoprotection in storage settings.

But the kicker is that SARNAS shields the surface antigens on red blood cells – the proteins, glycolipids and carbohydrates that distinguish blood types. This means that Si-RBCs escape immune detection and could serve as a universal blood that could be transfused between people with different blood types, and even between species. The authors write, "The method presented offers a straightforward, efficient, and cost-effective approach to developing universal blood."

In tests, the Si-RBCs provided universal blood compatibility, functioned exactly like normal RBCs in mechanical perfusion tests, including mechanical deformability of the cells and oxygen transport, and maintained their membrane and structural integrity.

Image source: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain.