From Donation to Discovery: How Red Blood Cells Support Research
Human red blood cells are used in a wide variety of research applications, but that research starts with donors. At Michigan Blood Collection, donors have theopportunity to contribute blood for research purposes, helping
provide the biological materials needed to support scientific studies and research products. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the major functions of red blood cells, their role in research, and how donating blood for research can help move scientific discovery forward.
Red Blood Cells in the Body
Red blood cells (RBCs), also known as erythrocytes, are the most abundant cell type found in whole blood and are responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. RBCs are made in the bone marrow and released into the peripheral blood when almost mature. Once mature, they begin their work in the lungs, where they absorb oxygen and transport it throughout the body to various tissues. There, they exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide, which is carried back to the lungs and exhaled from the body (“Red Blood Cells: Function, Role & Importance”).
To perform their job, RBCs are highly specialized and can communicate and interact with a variety of cell types and receptors. For example, RBCs can interact with endothelial cells, platelets, bacteria, and macrophages. They also play a role in maintaining thrombosis and hemostasis and are vitally important in immune responses against pathogens (Pretini, Koenen, Kaestner, Fens, Schiffelers, Bartels, and Van Wijk, 2019).
Human Red Blood Cells in Research
Because red blood cells play such a vital role in the body, it should come as no surprise that they are used across many different fields of research. At Michigan Blood Collection, donors help support this research by providing blood samples that can contribute to a variety of scientific studies. One area of study involves drug delivery and interactions. Because RBCs naturally circulate throughout the body and interact with a variety of receptors and tissues, researchers have explored their potential as a method for drug delivery and transport. Research has investigated ways to utilize the specialized properties of RBCs to carry and transport drugs throughout the body (Liu, Li, Wang, Zhang, Liang, Gao, and Yang, 2025).
On a similar note, researchers are exploring the use of engineered RBCs and RBC-derived materials as targeted drug-delivery systems. By modifying RBC surfaces or incorporating therapeutic compounds, researchers can take advantage of their natural circulation properties while adding features designed to direct therapeutic cargo toward specific tissues or biological targets. These engineered approaches are being investigated as potential platforms for targeted drug and antibody delivery (McMaster University, 2020).
Beyond research involving drug targeting, transport, and delivery, RBCs are studied in a variety of other fields. Forensic researchers may study RBCs and whole blood, while immunology researchers examine RBC function to better understand immune responses, illnesses, and bloodborne diseases. RBCs may also be studied as biomarkers in the development of diagnostic methods and research tools. The wide range of potential applications is one reason donated blood can be so valuable to research. By donating for research through Michigan Blood Collection, donors can help provide the human blood samples needed to support studies across a variety of scientific fields.
Red Blood Cells from Michigan Blood Collection
Now that we’ve covered RBC function and some of their research applications, you might be wondering how blood donated through Michigan Blood Collection contributes to this research. Blood collected from donors at our Michigan facilities can help support the human blood products offered by Innovative Research, our research products partner. Innovative Research offers RBCs as a standard sample or as a washed sample and keeps these samples in stock, making them ready to ship when needed.
Looking for a custom collection? Contact the Michigan Blood Collection team to discuss specific donor or collection requirements and learn how we can support your research needs.
Citations
Cleveland Clinic medical. “Red Blood Cells: Function, Role & Importance.” Cleveland Clinic, 24 Dec. 2025, https://www.my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21691-function-of-red-blood-cells
Pretini, Virginia, et al. “Red Blood Cells: Chasing Interactions.” Frontiers in Physiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 July 2019, https://www.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6684843/
Hangbing Liu, Yi Li, Yuli Wang, Liying Zhang, Xiaoqing Liang, Chunsheng Gao, Yang Yang, Red blood cells-derived components as biomimetic functional materials: Matching versatile delivery strategies based on structure and function, Bioactive Materials, Volume 47, 2025, Pages 481-501, ISSN 2452-199X, 18 January 2025, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.01.021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X25000210
University, McMaster. “Physicists Design ‘super-Human’ Red Blood Cells to Deliver Drugs to Specific Targets.” EurekAlert!, 16 Jan. 2020, www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/803296
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