The Ideal Blood Substitute

There is an ongoing need for a red cell substitute, an oxygen-carrying solution to use primarily as a bridge until red cells are available. The replacement of oxygen-carrying capacity has driven the field of research, primarily with the development of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, but they are less than ideal. The formulation of a complete substitute for blood, if it can be realized, must take into account all the cellular and molecular components of the immune and coagulation systems.