Indian American scientist Dipanjan Pan, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, has received a $2.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a synthetic blood substitute that mimics the functions of human red blood cells.
A press release from Penn State on March 31, 2025, highlighted that blood loss remains the leading cause of death among trauma patients aged 1 to 46. Limited access to safe blood supplies often results in preventable fatalities, prompting Pan and his research team to explore a breakthrough solution—freeze-dried synthetic blood.
Holding the Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Chair in Nanomedicine at Penn State, Pan secured the four-year NIH grant through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. He emphasized that artificial blood has been one of the greatest challenges in trauma medicine, with over 150 years of attempts yielding little success. However, with advances in nanotechnology, he believes they are now closer to achieving a viable substitute.
As a professor of materials science, engineering, and nuclear engineering, Pan is leading the effort to develop Nano-RBC, a deformable nanoparticle-based blood substitute. This innovation is designed to replicate the shape and function of red blood cells while efficiently transporting hemoglobin, the protein responsible for oxygen delivery.
Pan highlighted the critical need for synthetic blood in emergency situations, especially in rural regions and conflict zones where traditional blood storage is challenging. He stressed the importance of an artificial oxygen carrier that can serve as a substitute when stored blood is unavailable or unsuitable.
Previously, Pan and his team developed ErythroMer, an artificial blood product that successfully mimicked the oxygen-binding properties of red blood cells. Over the past decade, this research has progressed to advanced animal trials, supported by more than $14 million in funding from the NIH, the Department of Defense, and other agencies. Additionally, their work is part of a broader $46 million multi-institutional research initiative funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
While ErythroMer focused primarily on replicating red blood cell function, Pan’s latest research aims to go further by mimicking both their physiological and physical characteristics. He believes that this project represents a major step forward in synthetic blood research, demonstrating the limitless potential of material science in advancing healthcare solutions.
