ErythroMer is designed with 3 primary goals:
- Emulate normal red blood cell physiology
- Robust storage capability & facile administration
- Cost-effective, efficient, scalable formulation
ErythroMer features a donut-like immunosilent nanoparticle casing that emulates the membrane and surface area of a red blood cell allowing for physiologically realistic gas exchange. The synthetic polymer shell is inert and carries no blood antigens, completely eliminating the need to match to blood type. ErythroMer can be lyophilized, affording it a much greater shelf life than human blood.
Due to a novel shuttle system embedded in the nanoparticle, ErythroMer also exhibits the first of its kind context dependent oxygen binding, allowing for the distribution of oxygen in target tissues. Incorporation of a reducing agent inside the payload of the nanoparticle prevents the formation of the inactive metHb.
This uniquely close imitation of human physiology, combined with the ability to independently modulate each parameter, dramatically reduces the likelihood of unintended vasoconstriction and hypertension associated with previous blood replacement products.
