Gas-filled microparticles deliver life-saving oxygen

The Atlantic : A method to supply oxygen intravenously to patients who can’t breathe is being developed by a group of researchers led by John Kheir at Harvard Medical School. Earlier attempts usually failed to oxygenate the blood and often caused harmful air bubbles. To remedy those problems, the researchers engineered lipid-based microparticles, each containing a tiny pocket of oxygen gas. When the particles were injected directly into the bloodstream of oxygen-deprived rabbits, the lipid shell disintegrated and released the oxygen gas molecules, which then attached themselves to hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The rabbits’ oxygen levels returned to near normal within seconds, and the animals were able to last up to 15 minutes without taking a breath. Once refined for human use, the treatment could prove invaluable to emergency medical personnel. The group’s study appeared in the 27 June issue of Science Translational Medicine.