Artificial Blood

Not at present. That's why the various blood transfusion agencies and those who donate blood at intervals do such vital work.

they can make synthetic replacements for blood components, for emergency use. There is intense ongoing research to create a blood substitute to carry oxygen as well as salts, glucose and clotting components. Thisis for emergency use, hospitals, war, accidents etc. A sterile, storable, blood substitute would save a lot of lives..

The problem is that blood breaks down with time. The various components last varying times. Bllod can be separated into assorted fractions, some of which can be stored for a long time, some not.

They are about 5-6 years away from having pigs with a fully human blood composition, of universal type. They have it now, but there are risks from porcine viruses embedded in the porcine genome that have a chance of becoming acive in a person and then becoming a human virus with risks, like HIV did from monkeys. So they are slowly progressing. In time this same source will satisfy the need for organs.

Thank you for this informations

I was under the impression that Virginia Tech had already produced Piggies with transplantable organs and was undergoing FDA trials for another year or two.

There is no real need to do this. The essential requirement of an "artificial blood" is a high capacity for carrying oxygen, and there is no specific need to adjust to the vagaries of blood groups and immune systems. The currently available blood substitutes, based on perfluorocarbons, are independent of blood groups. Unfortunately, although they are capable of picking up large quantities of oxygen in the lungs and transporting it in the bloodstream, they are not as good as haemoglobin at releasing the oxygen where it is needed in the tissues.

Ask the chinese, they copy everything

Blood groups are on the surface of red cells. The only work done so far is an oxygen carrying fluorocarbon fluid, which is used for emergency situations involving loss of whole blood.

We have spent many years in a federal medical research lab in this area using haemoglobin from outdated bank blood. We are far from even animal trials.

Bioramani

The human blood has multiple cellular components which normally comprises 40-45% of blood and is generally measured as the bloods Hematocrit. The RBC's (red blood cells) contain the A, B, O antigens (specific protein structures dictated by genetics) on its cell membrane and are used in blood typing and allows the body to recognize self from foreign tissue. The previous comments are collectively correct. The function of the RBC is to transport oxygen with its hemoglobin protein structure which resides inside the cell. This transport system must respond in the lung to bind oxygen and then once reaching the various body tissues, release the bound oxygen. These two properties of the oxygen transport system are what the ideal artificial blood must mimic. Certain man-made fluids demonstrate similar oxygen binding properties but fail to release the oxygen as efficiently or without other untoward side effects. The perfluorocarbons are a group of such liquids.

In an emergency situation , the other major functions of blood are regulated or initiated by the plasma (fluid) component of blood and is necessary to transport fluid into and out-of tissues.

These properties are:

1. Osmotic fluid pressure which is regulated by a proper balance of the elements NA, CL, K, and Ca in a salt form.

2. Oncotic fluid pressure (regulated by proteins)

3. Hemostasis (allows clotting and prevents clotting under appropriate situations)

*** assisted in the final step by platelets (another blood cell)

NO ONE man-made fluid can accomplish these three functions of human plasma. The fluids available are collectively referred to as plasma expanders.