Hemoglobin based oxygen carrier and method of preparation

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a class of hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) comprising a first hemoglobin protein cross-linked by a chemical reaction that is followed by a strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) reaction or by a strain-promoted alkyne-nitrone cycloaddition (SPANC) in the absence of added copper salts to a second modified cross-linked hemoglobin protein. The resulting construct is an HBOC that is capable of binding oxygen and releasing same in a useful manner upon addition in an appropriate solution to the circulatory system of a patient. The disclosure also concerns a method of production of the HBOC where a first and second hemoglobin protein are produced by covalently linking hemoglobin to an angle strained cycloalkyne moiety. A compound comprising at least 2 azide or nitrone moieties is then added for reacting under conditions conducive to SPAAC or SPANC in reaction in absence of copper ions with the first and second hemoglobin protein for causing covalent linkage of the first and second hemoglobin protein to the compound comprising said at least 2 azide or nitrone moieties, resulting in said HBOC. The HBOC can be used for transfusion, perfusion or for increasing oxygen transport.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.