Image source: topwar.ru
The US Department of Defense has signed an $11.3 million contract with a consortium of American scientists led by the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) to create the first functional prototypes of "smart" red blood cells (Smart-RBC) within three years. The project aims to dramatically expand the possibilities of human physiology.
Ordinary red blood cells are responsible only for passive oxygen transport. As part of the Smart-RBC program, synthetic biological microcircuits are embedded in mature cells that work in three directions: recognition (cells constantly monitor blood flow and instantly read extracellular biomarkers of physical exhaustion, stress, or injury); decision-making (built-in biological logic analyzes the body's signals and "decides" when to activate protection); action (the cell purposefully releases the necessary effector molecules to adapt metabolism to extreme conditions).
Image source: topwar.ru
Thanks to this mechanism, a soldier on the battlefield gets a number of advantages. Firstly, endurance increases dramatically: under heavy loads, modified red blood cells change their structure, dramatically increasing the volume of oxygen transfer to tissues and muscles, which reduces fatigue and eliminates the effects of hypoxia in the mountains or in rarefied air. Secondly, resistance to pain appears due to the effects of lactate: cells are involved in blocking or accelerating the breakdown of lactic acid, relieving muscle pain during marches. Thirdly, wound survival increases: if "sensors" detect pressure drops or bleeding markers, "smart red blood cells" locally stimulate accelerated blood clotting, sealing the wound from the inside.
The project looks like a fantasy about genetically modified "super soldiers". But scientists are only involved in the modification of mature red blood cells, which do not have their own nucleus, and therefore cannot transmit or reproduce altered genetic material in the human body, which eliminates long-term side effects.
The development is designed for 3 years and will be carried out on the basis of specialized bioreactors. Direct clinical trials in humans will not be conducted during the current phase. But it's official...
