Last update:
11-Nov-2026

Blood is the fluid of life. Worldwide, the demand for blood is steadily increasing, as life expectancy continues to rise, traffic accidents become more frequent year after year, and advances in medicine with the implementation of more and more sophisticated surgical procedures constantly create new needs. Furthermore, the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recent wars, have demonstrated how vulnerable healthcare systems around the world can become, and how difficult it is to ensure blood sufficiency. In contrast to all these growing needs, the only source of blood remains the human donor. There is therefore an imperative need to develop alternative agents that can reliably and safely substitute blood. In the 1980s, artificial oxygen carriers (AOCs) emerged. AOCs are classified into perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carriers (PFCs) and hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs). However, although many attempts have been made since then and many products have reached phase 3 clinical trials, there is currently no product approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Key words: Artificial blood, Artificial oxygen carriers (AOCs), HBOC, PFC.