# Progress in Development of Functional Biological and Synthetic Blood Products to Augment Transfusable Blood Supply in Operational Medicine

## TL;DR

This paper reviews new biological and synthetic blood alternatives to address shortages in blood supply during emergencies.

## Contribution

The paper provides an updated review of functional blood substitutes and their potential to supplement traditional blood donations.

## Key findings

- Stem cell-derived blood and synthetic oxygen-carrying liquids are promising alternatives to traditional blood.
- Operational medicine scenarios may benefit from these alternatives due to their potential for scalability and availability.
- Current technologies suggest that blood substitutes could soon supplement traditional donor-based systems.

## Abstract

A reliable, accessible, and high-quality blood supply is critical for the sustainment of any healthcare system. World events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have proven that maintaining the supply of blood presents a logistical challenge. The current blood supply is overseen by extensive donor programs around the world. In the United States, as in other countries, the need for blood has increased, with a decline in blood donations and increasing exclusions for blood donor qualification. While there is a need to improve blood donation participation, there is also need for new alternatives to traditional donation to ensure readiness to treat hemorrhagic shock common in the setting of trauma, as often occurs during a natural disaster or conflict. These operational medicine scenarios require significant blood availability which may tax the current blood supply chain. Aside from a walking blood bank (WBB) model for blood collection in suboptimal conditions, researchers have proposed alternatives for blood that include the manufacturing of blood from stem cell sources. Other alternatives include synthetic liquids that can carry oxygen such as Perfluoro-Chemicals (PFCs) and hemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying systems (HBCOs). Here, we review some of these alternatives to the traditional donor blood model. Researchers now have the technology that makes it feasible to develop blood alternatives that one day may supplement and help alleviate the limitations in blood supply.