UC San Diego scientists have been awarded over $11 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop "smart" blood cells aimed at boosting soldiers' endurance and physical capabilities. The funding supports a three-year initiative to engineer red blood cells capable of carrying more oxygen, potentially providing military personnel with an advantage during strenuous activities.
Researchers plan to utilize gene-editing techniques to modify red blood cells, enabling them to detect physical exertion and subsequently increase oxygen delivery to tissues. This enhancement is expected to improve endurance, mitigate the effects of extreme exertion, and support overall soldier health. According to ABC10, the project is a collaborative effort involving teams from Northeastern University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Alejandro Chavez, the principal investigator and an associate professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego, expressed enthusiasm for the award, stating that the team is committed to exploring the technology's potential to transform human performance. Dr. John Carethers, UC San Diego’s vice chancellor for Health Sciences, likened the project's ambitious scope to DARPA's characteristic "moonshot" model, where high-risk, high-impact research is pursued.
While the project's immediate focus is on military applications, researchers foresee broader potential uses for the engineered red blood cells. These could extend to enhancing athletic performance or treating medical conditions where insufficient oxygen reaches tissues, such as heart attacks, strokes, vascular diseases, and diabetic skin ulcers. Co-investigator Dr. Hojun Li, an assistant professor of pediatrics, also highlighted potential future applications in cancer detection and treatment, suggesting that future iterations of these "smart" red blood cells could assist in identifying and treating microscopic disease.
The research will not involve human testing. The project aims to lay the groundwork for advancements in red blood cell engineering with potential applications across various medical fields, including anemia and cancer treatment.