These silk nanoparticles encapsulate oxygen carriers to maintain soluble oxygen content of perishable biologics in storage and transportation. Donated blood is an essential resource often wasted because of deficient refrigeration, contamination with viruses, and a short shelf life of only 42 days. Currently, the cold-chain system is the most common method of storing bioactive materials such as vaccines, labile drugs, and donated blood. Any deviation from specified temperatures while in storage or transportation can affect the viability of blood and reduce clinical benefits . Interruptions in the cold-chain system waste nearly 272,000 units donated blood each year.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed silk fibroin nanoparticles to encapsulate and preserve oxygen carriers such as hemoglobin proteins. These silk nanoparticles provide a long-term and inexpensive method of transporting and storing oxygen carriers, mitigating the need for pathogen inactivation and the cold-chain system.
Silk nanoparticles that enclose oxygen carrier hemoglobin and other bioactive molecules, preserving donor blood or other perishable biologics in transportation and storage, while also limiting opportunities for introduction of pathogens.
These silk fibroin particles encapsulate and protect oxygen carriers such as hemoglobin enabling room temperature storage and use as an artificial blood substitute. Lipid micelle encapsulation or phase separation using polyvinyl alcohol enable the creation of the silk particles.
