A Review of the Use of Metallic Nanoparticles as a Novel Approach for Overcoming the Stability Challenges of Blood Products: A Narrative Review from 2011-2021

Purpose: To obtain safe and qualified blood products (e.g., platelets, plasma, and red blood cells), various limitations such as limited shelf life (especially for platelets) and stability must be addressed. In this review study, the most commonly used metal nanomaterials (e.g., gold, silver, iron, and magnetic) reported in the literature from 2011 to 2021 were discussed owing to their unique properties, which provide exciting approaches to overcome these limitations and improve the stability, safety, and quality of blood products. Novelty: This study reviews for the first time the results of studies (from 2011 to 2021) that consider the effects of various metallic nanoparticles on the different blood products. Results: The results of this review study showed that some metallic nanoparticles are effective in improving the stability of plasma proteins. For this purpose, modified Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles and citrate-AuNPs protect albumin products against stressful situations. Also, SiO2 microspheres and silicacoated magnetite nanoparticles are highly capable of improving IgG stability. ZnO nanoparticles also reduced thrombin production, and protein-coated GMNP nanoparticles prevented unwanted leakage of factor VIII through blood vessels. Furthermore, the stability and longevity of erythrocytes can be improved by AuNP nanoparticles and Zr-based organic nanoparticles. In addition, platelet storage time can be improved using PEGylated Au and functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles. Suggestion: According to the results of this study, it is suggested that further research should be conducted on metal nanoparticles as the most promising candidates to prepare metal nanoparticles with improved properties to increase the stability of various blood products.