Several aspects of red blood cell engineering: potential therapeutic applications.

Erythrocytes can be used to entrap drugs, enzymes or other molecules with active properties, with various encapsulation procedures. The method of internalization we are using includes an hypotonic dialysis step. Carrier erythrocytes survival depends on the dialysis process and the carried molecule. Research has led us to perform preclinical trials on animals for several drugs and enzyme therapies and for the improvement of oxyphoric capacity of erythrocytes. There exist many potential clinical applications for each kind of internalized molecules.