Researchers from NanoSanguis and NanoGroup want to implement their blood substitute project with NATO funds. The Polish company, which created the unique blood-like fluid NanOX, has applied for funds from the DIANA program. The deadline for submitting applications is August 9, 2024.
The aim of the DIANA grant program is to support entities in the development and commercialization of technological solutions important for the defense of the North Atlantic Alliance countries. Start-ups and companies that provide technologies with dual-use potential – both for civilian and defense purposes – can participate. The best projects will participate in acceleration in a selected innovation center of world renown.
– Human health and performance is a complex issue, covering various aspects of human functioning, both in the context of motor skills, endurance, regeneration capacity, etc. – says Prof. Ph. Eng. Tomasz Ciach from the Warsaw University of Technology, founder of NanoSanguis. – A blood substitute, or a blood-like fluid, could ultimately respond to the greatest challenge facing humanity: the lack of blood. We have created a concept of an emulsion that could replace it. The introduction of such a blood substitute into common use would revolutionize many areas of our lives, from medicine, through sports, to pharmacy. It would also be invaluable, among others, on the battlefield or in emergency medical services. – says the researcher, who has several dozen patents and developed technologies based on nanotechnology to his credit.
According to estimates by the World Health Organization, every two seconds someone in the world needs blood. In the United States alone, 36,000 units of red blood cells are transfused daily. Blood and its derivatives are used in medicine, on the battlefield, in emergency medical services, and in many other areas of human activity. It is the only medicine that cannot be manufactured, which is why it is so valuable. As forecasts show, in 2030 we will face a deficit of up to 3 million units of blood, which will not be available for patients, victims of accidents and disasters, soldiers, and civilians.
The solution may be a blood substitute, which the NanoSanguis team is working on. It is an innovative and safe nanofluid that could replace natural blood. The perfluorocarbon emulsion, which Polish researchers have developed, has the ability to dissolve and transport respiratory gases: oxygen and carbon dioxide, which are essential for life.
– Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are derivatives of aliphatic, cyclic, or polycyclic hydrocarbons in which all hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms, the most electronegative element in the periodic table. These compounds are both hydrophobic and lipophobic, so they can only enter the bloodstream in an emulsified form, hence the characteristic white color – explains Prof. Ciach.
In addition, PFCs effectively reduce the surface tension of aqueous solutions and demonstrate biological inertness and low toxicity even at high doses, making them safe for humans.
NanoSanguis researchers have already confirmed the functions of oxygen and carbon dioxide transport during a recent autotransplantation of a pig kidney. NanOX fluid, which is a blood substitute fluid and uses nanoparticle technology, not only allowed the safe maintenance of the collected organ in extracorporeal conditions for a much longer period of time, but also its regeneration.
– Experiments using NanOX liquid have confirmed the effectiveness of the technology used and the path we have chosen. We are ready for the next step, which will be a blood substitute – announces Prof. Ciach.
NanoGroup S.A. is applying to participate in the DIANA program as part of the Human Health and Performance Challenge. The list of companies that will participate in acceleration at the selected innovation center is planned to be announced in October this year.
More about the program: https://www.diana.nato.int/index.html
NanoSanguis S.A. is a special purpose vehicle of the NanoGroup S.A. group, which has its roots in the Warsaw University of Technology. A team of PhD students from this Warsaw university developing a technology for transporting respiratory gases of oxygen and carbon dioxide, in December 2015, in cooperation with two VC capitals – Start Venture Poland and Giza Polish Ventures, founded NanoSanguis to introduce the first safe and effective red blood cell substitute to the market. Work on this emulsion remains the main area of the company’s activity.
