UC San Diego researchers will use gene editing to build red blood cells that sense physical exertion and boost oxygen delivery, backed by up to $11.3 million from the Pentagon's research arm.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the three-year contract to physician-scientists at UC San Diego School of Medicine, the university announced Monday, Aug. 31. The goal: engineer "smart" red blood cells that temporarily improve how the body moves oxygen to tissue.

Dr. Alejandro Chavez, associate professor of pediatrics, is the project's principal investigator. Co-investigator Dr. Hojun Li, assistant professor of pediatrics and attending hematologist/oncologist at Rady Children's Hospital, rounds out the La Jolla-based leadership. Researchers at Northeastern University, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT are also collaborating.

The two-step method starts with gene editing techniques that reprogram red blood cells to detect when the body is working hard and respond by producing proteins that enhance oxygen delivery. The team will then test those engineered cells in a specialized bioreactor called a hollow fiber reactor to measure and optimize performance.

No human testing is planned during this project.

DARPA funded the work to help military personnel who operate in extreme conditions, according to the university. NBC San Diego also reported on the contract. But Li said the science could reach well beyond the battlefield. Conditions involving poor oxygen delivery to tissue, including heart attacks, stroke, vascular diseases and diabetic skin ulcers, are potential targets.

"This science is much bigger than this one project," Li said in the university's announcement. "It has the potential to open up new avenues for treating a wide range of conditions, from anemia to cancer."

Li, who is also a member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, pointed to future possibilities in cancer treatment. Early detection and treatment of microscopic disease could one day be achieved through later generations of smart red blood cells, he said.

Dr. John Carethers, vice chancellor for Health Sciences at UC San Diego, called the contract an example of DARPA's "moonshot" model, where the goal is nearly impossible but successful projects can be highly impactful.

The university described the effort as a "high-risk, high-reward" project. The $11.3 million figure represents a contract ceiling, not a guaranteed total. Specific milestones and timelines beyond the three-year contract have not been disclosed.