Hemoglobin based oxygen carrier and its application in biomedicine

Abstract

Oxygen is essential for biological metabolism. However, due to shortages in clinical surgeries, blood group incompatibilities, and the risk of infection transmission, there is an urgent need for a safe and efficient oxygen carrier to replace whole blood. Advances in biotechnology have led to the development of an oxygen carrier based on stroma-free hemoglobin (SFH), which has garnered significant interest because of its excellent biosafety profile and diverse sources. This review first introducing the structure of hemoglobin (Hb) and then classifies the membrane-free Hb-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) based on chemical and genetic modifications of Hb. Additionally, the membrane-encapsulated HBOCs is categorized by the type of material used such as liposomes, polymers, metal-organ frameworks (MOFs), hydrogel and polysaccharide, and its advantages and disadvantages, as well as its suitability as an oxygen carrier, are analyzed. Furthermore, the application of the HBOCs in biomedicine is discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and future prospects are examined. These innovative oxygen carriers offer significant advantages over traditional carriers and are poised to substantially advance research into practical and reliable oxygen carriers.