Arteriocyte announced today a $1,950,000 award from DARPA for the company's Nanofiber Based System (NANEX) technology for the Production of Red Blood Cells project.
DARPA's Blood Pharming program aims to develop an automated culture and packaging system that will yield a readily available, donorless supply of universal donor red blood cells in the military theatre. Arteriocyte is developing its NANEX technology in order to provide a continuous manufacturing system to enable the increased supply of universal donor red blood units.
In today's widespread military deployments in the war on terror, advanced medical support requirements for military personnel have become an ever-growing challenge. As the most needed and vital component of blood, red blood cells (RBCs) are the most transfused blood product in battlefield trauma care. The NANEX system could ultimately deliver improved availability of fresh universal donor RBC supply in theatre that will help to address the inherent challenges of the donor system coupled with the global nature of U.S. military operations.
Working with technology developed at Johns Hopkins, Arteriocyte has developed its NANEX technology to enable rapid expansion of umbilical cord blood. The development program is designed to deliver a novel RBC manufacturing technology to help alleviate the military's pressing need for constant supply of universal donor red blood units. The company's development project is being conducted in collaboration with researchers at Johns Hopkins University, The Ohio State University and INSERM, Paris.