KaloCyte, Inc., a preclinical biotech that has developed an artificial RBC substitute for use as a lifeline when blood is not available. We are located at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) as an Affiliate of the UM BioPark, and were selected as a BLUE KNIGHT™ Company. KaloCyte offices and labs are sited within the UM School of Medicine’s Center for Blood Oxygen Transport and Hemostasis (CBOTH) directed by Allan Doctor, MD (KaloCyte Co-Founder and CSO). KaloCyte was founded in 2016 by a distinguished team of Washington University in St. Louis researchers in physiology, bioengineering, and trauma care, with support from the BioGenerator Fundamentals program. KaloCyte has demonstrated preclinical safety and efficacy for ErythroMer, a shelf-stable, bio-inspired artificial red blood cell envisioned for use when stored red blood cells are unavailable, undesirable or in short supply. KaloCyte is supported by $17M in federal awards and $5M investor funding.
ErythroMer is a first-in-class, bio-inspired nanoparticle-encapsulated human hemoglobin, which mimics the vital oxygen-carrying functionality of RBCs and can be freeze-dried for long-term storage. Erythromer’s synthetic outer membrane, small size and surface area allow for physiologically realistic gas exchange. The synthetic polymer shell is “immune-silent”, inert and carries no blood antigens, eliminating the need to type and cross-match as with stored blood. ErythroMer can be freeze-dried or “lyophilized”, for a much longer shelf life than stored blood. It is covered by issued U.S. patents that specify composition of matter, method of preparation, and use as an oxygen carrier.
