Researchers at UC San Diego received an $11.312 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This three-year project aims to create “smart” red blood cells to boost oxygen delivery in the body temporarily.

“This DARPA award is a testament to UC San Diego’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge research and innovation,” said John Carethers, MD, vice chancellor for Health Sciences at UC San Diego. “DARPA follows a ‘moonshot’ model, where the goal is nearly impossible but successful projects can be highly impactful, and our researchers tackle those challenges head-on to push the boundaries of biomedical science.”

How Smart Blood Works

Red blood cells; Photo: The1969 Studio/Shutterstock

The project focuses on military personnel who need peak performance to survive harsh environments. The team will collaborate with MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University to build the technology.

First, they will use gene editing to enable the cells to sense physical exertion. Then, the cells will respond by making proteins that improve oxygen delivery to the tissue. They will test all of this in a specialized hollow fiber bioreactor.

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“We are thrilled to receive this award from DARPA and to bring together a world-class team to work on this groundbreaking project,” said principal investigator Alejandro Chavez, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics. “Blood cell engineering is still an emerging field, but our team is committed to exploring this technology and maximizing its potential for transforming human performance.”

Beyond One Project

“This project has the potential to revolutionize the field of red blood cell engineering,” said coinvestigator Hojun Li, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, attending hematologist/oncologist at Rady Children’s Hospital, and member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “While our focus in this current project is improving performance, if we achieve these goals, I’m excited to explore future possibilities of red cell engineering in cancer treatment, where both early detection and treatment of microscopic levels of disease could potentially be achieved by future iterations of ‘smart’ red blood cells.”

Extra oxygen can boost athletic endurance, but it can also help treat health conditions where tissues lack oxygen. This includes heart attacks, strokes, vascular diseases, and diabetic skin ulcers. There is no human testing in this project yet, but it is a big step forward for regenerative medicine and human biology.

“This science is much bigger than this one project,” said Li. “It has the potential to open up new avenues for treating a wide range of conditions, from anemia to cancer, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of this research.”