Characteristics of polymerized pyridoxylated hemoglobin.

Polymerization of SFH-P currently provides the only approach that leads to a hemoglobin solution that approximates the O2 carrying capacity of whole blood and can be infused without altering the COP of plasma. It appears to have an adequate O2 loading and unloading characteristic and a greatly improved intravascular half-life. In addition, stable shelf-life at 4 degrees C of greater than five months, makes it a prime candidate for future pre-clinical and clinical investigations.