Artificial Cell Including Blood Substitute and Biomicroencapsulation: from Ideas to Applications

How long does it take for ideas and basic research to germinate into practical applications?It seems to depend on public demand and need.It also depends on the availability of related technology.Artificial cells including blood substitutes and biomicroencapsulation are good examples of this.The first artificial cells were prepared and reported by Chang in 1957 and 1964 (1)."Artificial Cell ....... is an idea involving the preparation of artificial structures .... for possible replacement or supplement of deficient cell functions.It is clear that different approaches can be used to demonstrate this idea."(1972)( I )In the 1960's there was a severe shortage of dialysers for use in medicine.Our first report of basic research using artificial cells in hemoperfusion was in 1966 (2).Public demands prompted us to develope this idea into a practical system by 1969 (2) and Phase I safety clinical trial by 1970 (2).Our Phase I1 efficacy clinical trials followed quickly: renal failure in 1971(2), liver failure in 1972 (2) and acute poisoning in 1973(2).This has been a routine clinical proceedure around the world since that time(2).Unfortunately, the many other areas of artificial cells had to wait for many years before there were public demands and availability of related technology for developing them for applications.Let us look at some examples. I. MODIFIED HEMOGLOBIN BLOOD SUBSTITUTES:Artificial red blood cells were first reported in 1957 in the form of encapsulated hemoglobin(1).Crosslinked hemoglobin was first reported in 1964 (I).vii