Engineering tyrosine electron transfer pathways decreases oxidative toxicity in hemoglobin: implications for blood substitute design

Engineering tyrosine electron transfer pathways decreases oxidative toxicity in hemoglobin: implications for blood substitute design

Hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) have been engineered to replace or augment the oxygen-carrying capacity of erythrocytes. However, clinical results have generally been disappointing due to adverse side effects linked to intrinsic heme-mediated oxidative toxicity and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging. Redox-active tyrosine residues can facilitate electron transfer between endogenous antio...

Electron Transfer Pathways in Cell

Soluble dextran-hemoglobin complex as a potential blood substitute.

A complex between soluble dextran and human hemoglobin has been synthesized by two different methods. In the alkylation method, hemoglobin was allowed to react with bromoacetyl groups incorporated into the dextran; the yield of the complex was about 80% in terms of the hemoglobin used. In the dialdehyde method, hemoglobin was allowed to react with dialdehyde groups on the dextran generated by p...

Arenicola marina extracellular hemoglobin: a new promising blood substitute.

The need to develop a blood substitute is now urgent because of the increasing concern over Europe's BSE outbreak and the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic, which have cut blood supplies. Extracellular soluble hemoglobin has long been studied for its possible use as a safe and effective alternative to blood transfusion, but this has met with little success. Clinical trials have revealed undesirable s...

Engineering Nanocarbon Interfaces for Electron Transfer

Electron transfer events involving single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) play an integral role in a variety of applications, ranging from nanotube covalent functionalization to SWCNT-based photovoltaics. In the first part of this thesis, we explore ground-state electron transfer events, during the diazonium derivatization of carbon nanotubes, with the objective of modulating the extent of cov...