Scientists around the world have long been trying to create artificial blood in order to use less donated blood, which, despite significant reserves, is not always enough. And besides, it also requires special storage and transportation conditions. But a group of scientists from the United States recently presented a powder that, when diluted with sterile water, turns into liquid blood that can perform its function for 12 hours.
Physicians from the University of Washington are behind the development. Their invention, although it does not completely cancel the use of donated blood, can help out doctors in emergency situations. One of the authors of the study, Allan Doctor, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, as well as an expert in resuscitation and intensive care, explained that the powder they created does not require special storage conditions and in order for it not to deteriorate, only a standard container for blood. The shelf life of the powder is 1 year. The powder (which looks like paprika) is based on a substance based on purified hemoglobin.
Powder-based blood also has its drawbacks: first of all, it does not participate in the regulation of the human immune system, and also cannot be used in case of profuse blood loss. Experiments on animals have shown that no more than 70% of artificial blood can be replaced in this way for an animal. The only function that "powder blood" performs perfectly is the ability to carry oxygen, but in most cases this is sufficient, since many deaths in emergency situations occur not from a lack of circulating blood volume (which does not have to be replenished with blood), but from oxygen starvation of tissues, primarily brain tissue.
VLADIMIR KUZNETSOV