Darpa Awards UC San Diego Up to $11.3 Million for ‘Smarter’ Red Blood Cells
The DARPA-funded UC San Diego project could allow scientists to temporarily improve human performance using redesigned red blood cells, with applications in both the military and in civilian medicine. The post Darpa Awards UC San Diego Up to $11.3 Million for ‘Smarter’ Red Blood Cells appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
The University of California San Diego School of Medicine has received a generous contract of up to $11.3 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop engineered red blood cells that can temporarily enhance human performance and health. The three-year project aims to create "smart" red blood cells capable of temporarily boosting oxygen delivery to the body, with potential applications in military personnel, athletic performance, and treating conditions related to oxygen delivery to tissues.
Principal investigator Alejandro Chavez, MD, PhD, and co-investigator Hojun Li, MD, PhD, are leading the multidisciplinary team, which includes colleagues from Northeastern University, University of Pennsylvania, and MIT. The researchers will use gene editing techniques to modify red blood cells that can sense physical exertion and produce proteins that improve oxygen delivery.
The team will then test and optimize the engineered cells using a hollow fiber reactor. While the current project focuses on military applications, the technology also has the potential to revolutionize treatments for various conditions, including anemia, cancer, heart attacks, stroke, vascular diseases, and diabetic skin ulcers.
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