Method for increasing the volume of a blood substitute with an expander comprising basic alpha keratose

1. A method of increasing the volume of available blood substitute for treatment in a subject in need thereof, comprising:

obtaining a volume of donor blood;

determining the hematocrit (Hct) of said donor blood;

isolating red blood cells (RBCs) from said donor blood; and

diluting said isolated RBCs with a plasma expander to a final Hct of not less than 10% but not greater than 70%, wherein said plasma expander consists essentially of:

(a) from 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of basic alpha keratose; said basic alpha keratose having an average molecular weight of from 10 to 100 kilodaltons;

(b) from 0 to 5 percent by weight of gamma keratose; and

(c) from 90 to 99.9 percent by weight of an electrolyte solution; with said basic alpha keratose and said gamma keratose solubilized in said electrolyte solution to form a homogeneous liquid composition having:

(i) a pH of 7-8;

(ii) an osmolarity of 200 to 500 milliosmoles/Liter; and

(iii) a viscosity of 2 to 20 centipoise at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius as determined with a Brookfield viscometer having a cone and plate geometry with a cone angle of 0.02 radians at a constant frequency of 30 rotations per minute.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said donor blood is autologous blood.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition has a viscosity of 4 to 20 centipoise at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius using a cone and plate geometry with a cone angle of 0.02 radians and a constant frequency of 30 rotations per minute.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition has a viscosity of 10 to 20 centipoise at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius using a cone and plate geometry with a cone angle of 0.02 radians and a constant frequency of 30 rotations per minute.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition has a viscosity of 10 to 15 centipoise at a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius using a cone and plate geometry with a cone angle of 0.02 radians and a constant frequency of 30 rotations per minute.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plasma expander consists essentially of:

(a) from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of said basic alpha keratose;

(b) from 0 to 5 percent by weight of gamma keratose; and

(c) from 90 to 99.9 percent by weight of an electrolyte solution.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plasma expander consists essentially of:

(a) from 0.1 to 4 percent by weight of said basic alpha keratose;

(b) from 0 to 4 percent by weight of gamma keratose; and

(c) from 92 to 99.9 percent by weight of an electrolyte solution.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition is sterile.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein when said plasma expander is contacted to red blood cells forms aggregates of said blood cells of less than 25 microns in diameter.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said RBCs are mammalian.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said RBCs are human.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said basic alpha keratose is produced by the process of separating basic alpha keratose from a mixture of acidic and basic alpha keratose by ion exchange chromatography.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said process further comprises the steps of precipitating said basic alpha keratose; re-dissolving said basic alpha keratose in a denaturing solution, optionally in the presence of a chelating agent to complex trace metals; and re-precipitating said basic alpha keratose from said denaturing solution.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said denaturing solution comprises a buffer solution.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said denaturing solution comprises a TRIS buffer solution.