Work on promising inorganic blood substitute to move forward with $1.5 million gran...( nt circulation remains to carry the bub...),Health

Nearly all other blood substitutes currently in use or in development are based on hemoglobin, the iron molecule that carries oxygen. Hemoglobin products are expensive and can cause hypertension, Lundgren said. Moreover, they raise some of the same concerns associated with any blood product, and can't be used in persons who refuse transfusion for religious or other reasons.

DDFPe circumvents all the hazards associated with the use of blood products and is 500 times more effective than other fluorocarbon-based blood substitutes, Lundgren said. "We know that if it is administered soon after blood loss, the product has a dramatic effect. Very small amounts introduced into the circulation of a pig after severe blood loss can save the animal from hemorrhagic shock."

His current research will concentrate on finding out how soon the treatment must occur after bleeding begins. The goal is to postpone collapse of the circulatory system during severe blood loss for at least four hours. Researchers will gather physiological and biochemical data relating to the effects of severe blood loss on organs and tissues throughout the investigation.

"Our findings should help to lay a solid foundation for pursuing FDA approval for human use of this blood substitute," Lundgren said. "In the best of circumstances, it would be carried in every ambulance."
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Contact: Lois Baker
ljbaker@buffalo.edu
716-645-5000 x1417
University at Buffalo
15-Apr-2004