Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have received a $5.4 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to explore a revolutionary concept: transforming red blood cells into vehicles for drug delivery. Traditionally responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide, these cells may soon carry therapeutic molecules throughout the body.
Susan Shea, assistant professor of surgery and bioengineering at Pitt and a member of the Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center, will collaborate with Carnegie Mellon experts in engineering and robotics on the 21-month initiative under DARPA’s Red Blood Cell Factory program. The goal is to assess the feasibility of using red blood cells to deliver biologically active substances like proteins and peptides.
Shea will oversee blood sourcing and testing, working alongside CMU’s Derin Sevenler to evaluate how drug-loaded red blood cells affect clotting function. “Our role is to ensure these modified cells remain safe and effective,” Shea said. “This validation is key to translating the technology into clinical use.”
Her team will also contribute expertise in blood handling and storage, and will manage the collection and preparation of blood samples for testing.