Live: Artificial red blood cells that mimic human ones

Biotechnology never stops and now, it is known that the scientists at the University of New Mexico can design a red blood cell (RBC).

The celebration of material science has never been that big: the specialists have fully recreated the structures, mechanics, and all the functionalities of a native red blood cell.

Silica bio replication (SBR) approach is a process that converts biological samples into silica, forever preserving the original topography at the nano-scale. Using this technique it is possible to create exact replicas of any tissue preserving its functionality: circulation time, size, deformability, and oxygen-carrying capacity.

Flow-based deformation studies carried out in a microfluidic blood capillary model confirmed the ability of recreated red blood cells to go through slits and reconstitute themselves in a manner comparable to native RBCs.

As an artificial hybrid material, the recreated red blood cell might be applied in different types of surgeries, where the lack of red blood cells are distinguished or atrophy of RBCs is progressing.

The next challenge for the scientists is the smooth running of the RRBC under the influence of alcohol and meds etc.