有氧代谢依赖于通过光合作用产生外部氧气，并随后通过心肺系统输送到身体的每个细胞。这种机制已经成功进化了数百万年，使动物能够栖息在地球上的大多数环境中。然而，氧气供应不足会导致一些临床问题，从伤口不愈合到肿瘤对治疗产生耐药性。鉴于光合微生物能够产生氧气并从环境中去除二氧化碳，在过去的十年中，世界各地的几个研究小组提出了它们作为替代组织氧合方法的潜在用途。虽然大多数研究已经证明局部组织给药后的安全性和有效性，但最近的研究还表明全身给药可能引发血管内光合作用。如果成功，新一代循环细胞（称为绿细胞）的开发可能会部分取代红细胞在体内气体交换中的作用，而无需依赖外部供应和血管流量。这项工作回顾了有关光合微生物局部和全身施用的现有文献，强调了该领域的主要挑战以及释放绿细胞和血管内光合作用巨大潜在临床影响的潜在解决方案。要点： • 循环光合微生物可以向组织输送氧气 • 微藻和蓝藻已显示出氧气输送的安全性和有效性 • 绿细胞的临床成功需要解决几个关键挑战。© 2024。作者。

Aerobic metabolism relies on external oxygen production through photosynthesis and its subsequent transport into each cell of the body via the cardiorespiratory system. This mechanism has successfully evolved over millions of years, enabling animals to inhabit most environments on Earth. However, the insufficient oxygen supply leads to several clinical problems, ranging from non-healing wounds to tumor resistance to therapy. Given that photosynthetic microorganisms are capable of producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the environment, over the last decade, several groups worldwide have proposed their potential use as an alternative tissue oxygenation approach. While most studies have demonstrated safety and efficacy after local tissue administration, recent studies have also suggested that systemic administration could trigger intravascular photosynthesis. If successful, the development of a new generation of circulating cells, known as chlorocytes, may partially replace the role of erythrocytes in gas exchange within the body, without relying on external supply and vascular flow. This work reviews the existing literature on local and systemic administration of photosynthetic microorganisms, highlighting the main challenges in the field and potential solutions to unleash the enormous potential clinical impact of chlorocytes and intravascular photosynthesis. KEY POINTS: • Circulating photosynthetic microorganisms could deliver oxygen to tissues • Microalgae and cyanobacteria have shown safety and efficacy for oxygen delivery • Several key challenges need to be addressed for the clinical success of chlorocytes.© 2024. The Author(s).