Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a 3-D-printed device that can detoxify blood in much the same manner as the liver, using nanoparticles to lure and trap toxins that damage cells.
Researchers 3-D Print Liver-Like Device to Detoxify Blood
In an initial study, nanoparticles completely neutralized toxins in vitro.
Courtesy: UC San Diego
The “biomimetic 3D detoxifier” is specifically designed to remove “pore-forming toxins” that can pierce the membrane of healthy cells. These are often the result of venomous animal bites or stings, or an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (more commonly known as a staph infection).
Other scientists have shown that nanoparticles in the bloodstream can bind with and neutralize toxins, but they can also accumulate in the liver, “posing a risk of secondary poisoning especially in liver-failure patients,” the scientists wrote in a paper published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.
In this case, the researchers created a detoxifier designed for use outside the body, much like a dialysis machine. In an in vitro study (meaning one conducted outside the body), the device “completely neutralized” toxins.
The researchers added:
This device is created by 3D printing of designer hydrogels with … nanoparticles installed in the hydrogel matrix. The nanoparticles can attract, capture and sense toxins, while the 3D matrix … allows toxins to be trapped efficiently.
Our results show that the toxin solution completely loses its virulence after treatment using this biomimetic detoxification device. This work provides a proof-of-concept of detoxification by a 3D-printed biomimetic nanocomposite construct in hydrogel, and could lead to the development of alternative detoxification platforms.
“The concept of using 3D printing to encapsulate functional nanoparticles in a biocompatible hydrogel is novel,” said Shaochen Chen, a UC San Diego nanoengineering professor who led the research team, in a statement. “This will inspire many new designs for detoxification techniques since 3D printing allows user-specific or site-specific manufacturing of highly functional products.”
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
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