(1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Devices, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China) (2. Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China)
The occurrence of a variety of human diseases is often accompanied by the emergence of hypoxia and hypoxic microenvironment. Therefore, the development of oxygen carriers with good performance becomes the key to overcome various diseases and achieve many medical functions. Hemoglobin comes from the live organism. As the main component of red blood cells, hemoglobin relies on the iron atom in the molecular center heme to play the function of oxygen transport. Because of its unique oxygen carrying properties, excellent biocompatibility as well as safety, hemoglobin has become a good choice for artificial oxygen carrier. Due to the transport defects and nephrotoxicity of free hemoglobin, researchers have extended its circulation time, improved its oxygen carrying efficiency, expanded its applicable conditions and enriched its medical functions by chemical modification such as coupling, cross-linking and adsorption or microencapsulation with liposome and polymer. These oxygen carriers are used to treat anemia, brain injury, malignant tumor, ischemic shock, skeletal muscle fatigue and organ and limb perfusion. This paper reviews the chemical modification and microencapsulation methods in the preparation of hemoglobin oxygen carriers in recent years, as well as the treatment methods for many kinds of diseases and the combined application with other therapies.