Blood substitutes: possibilities with nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology deals with molecules in the nanometer (10(-9)) range and is currently being used successfully in the field of medicine. Nanotechnology has important implications in nearly all the branches of medicine and it has all the capabilities to revolutionize the vast field of medicine in future. Nanotechnological advancements have been used for the preparation of artificial hemoglobin. It is formed by assembling the hemoglobin molecules into a soluble complex. A recent approach includes the assembling of this artificial hemoglobin with enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase into a nano-complex. This complex acts as an oxygen carrier as well as an antioxidant in conditions with ischemia-reperfusion injuries.