Genomics and blood substitutes for 21st Century Europe

Blood transfusion is universally practised in all European countries. Blood is a biologic material that has the potential to transmit diseases (e.g. HIV and, perhaps, vCJD). European citizens are becoming increasingly concerned about blood safety, despite improved screening and processing. Such concerns are making people reluctan t to donate blood or receive it through transfusions. Safe, effective and commercially viable blood substitutes will overcome this problem. The EuroBloodSubstitutes Project brings together a multi-disciplinary, mixed gender team of experienced academic scientists, clinicians, industrialists and transfusion specialists to develop an integrated technological platform for generating blood substitutes for critical blood components, in particular oxygen carriers (novel prototype haem proteins), that will, longer-term, benefit all European citizens.

The Project has a fundamental focus on novel, genomic-based approaches, involving the use of cell factories, for developing and optimising strategies for the efficient generation, modification, purification, biochemical and biophysical characterisation and physiological evaluation of prototype native, modified and variant haemoglobins for improved formulations of blood substitutes to replace some blood uses. The project will be informed by consultation and dialogue with lay (i.e. the public, patient groups), professional (clinical preservers and providers) and commercial (especially SME) stakeholders. The EuroBloodSubstitutes Project is directly relevant to the LifeSciHealth Thematic Priority of the 6th Framework Programme because it provides a baseline for integrating post-genomic research into biomedicaland biotechnological areas (generating prototype critical blood substitute components) that aims to strengthen European commerce (through blood substitute manufacture) and improve the future quality of life (through blood substitute use) for European people.