Synthetic Blood Development Could Be a Breakthrough for Trauma Patients 

Whales and other deep sea diving mammals can hold their breath and keep active for extended amounts of time on just one breath.  This is due to the vast amounts of myoglobin (a protein that helps to hold oxygen in the body) stored in the large mammals’ muscles.

Researchers from Rice University have done studies for quite some time on the myoglobin in the bodies of whales and other marine mammals to hopefully be able to come up with synthetic blood for human trauma patients.  Because the myoglobin in whales can hold so much oxygen, this in turn could be beneficial to humans.  “Whales and other deep-diving marine mammals can pack 10-20 times more myoglobin into their cells than humans can, and that allows them to ‘download’ oxygen directly into their skeletal muscles and stay active even when they are holding their breath” said biochemist, John Olson in a statement.

Whales have a large amount of myoglobin in their muscles which is why they can stay under water for so long.  Humans have less myoglobin in their bodies which is why it is difficult to hold their breath for extended amounts of time.  If synthetic blood were to be developed for trauma patients, it would provide hospitals with a larger blood supply.  This in turn would allow patients to receive blood quicker as well as have that blood “take up” oxygen more efficiently. 

I found this article very interesting.  Although there are many people that donate blood, having synthetic blood on hand could make it easier for patients to be matched for a specific blood type as well as make more blood if needed instead of waiting for a donation. 

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Whales and Synthetic Blood

 Researchers have recently been studying the ways of the whale and their ability to hold their breath for up to two hours while remaining active. The proteins that allow the whale to do this have helped biochemists and researchers close in on the possibility of creating synthetic blood. Researchers have done this by comparing the muscle protein myoglobin from humans, whales, and other deep-diving mammals. 

"Myoglobin holds oxygen for ready use inside muscle cells, and the study found that marine mammals have ultra-stable versions of myolobin that tend not to unfold. The researchers found that stability was the key for cells to make large amounts of myoglobin, which explains why deep-diving mammals can load their muscle cells with far more myoglobin than humans." (Rice University)

The scientist observing these proteins plans to maximize the amount of hemoglobin that a bacterium can express. In doing this research has shown that protein stability is the key. 

I enjoyed this article because it leads hopeful for trauma patients that are in need of immediate blood transfusion. It also could provide hospitals with a greater blood supply, allowing patients to receive blood quicker and more efficiently. 

This is a very interesting article and goes more in to depth about this topic. Check it out here!