Surface-modified anodic aluminum oxide membrane with hydroxyethyl celluloses as a matrix for bilirubin removal

Biological evaluation of a novel bilirubin adsorbent and its therapeutic effect on animal models of hyperbilirubinemia

Hyperbilirubinemia caused severe hepatobiliary diseases with various causes, especially hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by end-stage hepatitis B and C. Plasma adsorption perfusion (PP) has a tremendous advantage in treating patients with hyperbilirubinemia and liver failure, wherein, a safe and effective adsorbent is the key to filter out bilirubin successfully in PP. In this work, a simple engineering strategy, a new porous polymer adsorption resin ERM-0100 based on the homopolymer predispersion system, is proposed to produce high-performance bilirubin adsorbents. Preliminary experimental results show that ERM-0100 exhibits a large surface area and uniformly porous structure. Experimental results verify that ERM-0100 has high biocompatibility and bilirubin adsorption efficiency (TBIL:35%, direct bilirubin [DBIL]:30%, IBIL:87%) that is significantly higher than most of the reported adsorbents. Animal experiments prove that ERM-0100 has high bilirubin adsorption efficiency and can improve the liver function of animals. The combination of high biocompatibility and high adsorption capacity positions the ERM-0100 as a promising candidate for bilirubin removal.

High-strength, blood-compatible, and high-capacity bilirubin adsorbent based on cellulose-assisted high-quality dispersion of carbon nanotubes

Excess bilirubin can accumulate in body organs and has serious effects on human health. In this work, a simple engineering strategy, based on cellulose-assisted high-quality dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is proposed to produce high-performance bilirubin adsorbents. By dispersing cellulose and CNTs in NaOH/thiourea aqueous solution, a homogeneous and stable cellulose/CNTs solution is achieved. The obtained cellulose/CNTs solution is applied for the fabrication of cellulose/CNTs microspheres (CCMs), in which cellulose serves as a base material and guarantees the blood compatibility of the composite material, and CNTs contribute to the improved mechanical strength and high adsorption capacity. To further improve blood compatibility and adsorption capacity, lysine is immobilized on the CCMs. The obtained lysine-modified CCMs (LCCMs) exhibit a large surface area (171.31 m²/g) and hierarchically porous structure. Experimental results demonstrate LCCMs have high bilirubin adsorption capacity (204.12 mg/g) that is significantly higher than most of the reported adsorbents. The combination of high strength, blood compatibility, and high adsorption capacity positions the LCCMs as a promising candidate for bilirubin removal.

Metal-Organic Framework Traps with Record-High Bilirubin Removal Capacity for Hemoperfusion Therapy

Adsorption-based hemoperfusion has been widely used to remove toxins from the blood of patients suffering acute liver failure (ALF). However, its detoxification effect has been severely hampered by the unsatisfactory adsorption performance of clinically used porous adsorbents, such as activated carbon (AC) and adsorption resin. Herein, two cage-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), PCN-333 (constructed from 4,4,4-s-triazine-2,4,6-triyl-tribenzoic acid (H₃TATB) ligands and Al₃ metal clusters) and MOF-808 (constructed from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H₃BTC) ligands and Zr₆ metal clusters), are introduced for highly efficient hemoperfusion. They possess negligible hemolytic activity and can act as "bilirubin traps" to achieve outstanding adsorption performance toward bilirubin, a typical toxin related to ALF. Notably, PCN-333 shows a record-high adsorption capacity (∼1003.8 mg g^-1) among various bilirubin adsorbents previously reported. More importantly, they can efficiently adsorb bilirubin in bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution or even in 100% fetal bovine serum (FBS) due to their high selectivity. Strikingly, the adsorption rate and capacity of PCN-333 in biological solutions are approximately four times faster and 69 times higher than those of clinical AC, respectively. Findings in this work pave a new avenue to overcome the challenge of low adsorption efficiency and capacity in hemoperfusion therapy.

Fabrication of macroporous reduced graphene oxide composite aerogels reinforced with chitosan for high bilirubin adsorption

Numerous adsorbents have been reported for the removal of bilirubin, which is a well-known endogenous toxin. Three-dimensional graphene sponges and aerogels have been fully studied in the adsorption field but little in hemoperfusion especially for bilirubin adsorption. In this study, macroporous reduced graphene oxide (GO) aerogels were fabricated by a chemical reduction method. Besides, chitosan was introduced in the aerogels during the reduction process to improve their mechanical properties. The graphene oxide composite aerogels reinforced with chitosan (rGO/CS) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Furthermore, the mechanical properties test showed the reinforced mechanical strength of the rGO/CS aerogels. The adsorption performance of the aerogels for bilirubin was studied in detail, showing a high adsorption capacity (458.9 mg g-1) and a fast adsorption rate. Moreover, the low hemolysis ratio and negligible anticoagulant activity of rGO/CS aerogels suggested good blood compatibility. The mesoporous structure of the aerogels can provide good mechanical strength, and the macroporous structure of the rGO/CS aerogels shows a good adsorption capacity, which would have potential applications in bilirubin adsorption.

Synergistic effects of polymer adsorbents on the performance of bilirubin hemoperfusion

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice) is a common disease with high incidence. Currently, the clinical inefficiency of adult bilirubin hemoperfusion medical adsorbent is a major technical barrier for the application of hemoperfusion treatment to rescue the severe neonatal jaundice. Based on the well-known principle of synergistic effects, a series of customized bilirubin polymeric compounds, comprised of one or more of the following components (glycidyl methacrylate, sodium acrylate, methacrylic acid isooctyl, hexamethylene diamine, albumin), were designed and fabricated based on molecular design. Their adsorption performances upon bilirubin were investigated and compared under the same conditions, and the compound with the highest adsorption performance was then subject to preliliminary safety assessments and compared with a commercial one (BS330). The results showed that positive synergistic effects appeared on the adsorption performance to adsorb bilirubin based on this study, and the one comprised of glycidyl methacrylate+sodium acrylate+methacrylic acid isoocty+hexamethylene diamine+albumin possesses the highest adsorption performance as well as outome clinical acceptable medical safety assessments, and its adsorption efficiency was up to 46% while the commerical one's was about 26% under the same conditions. This study sheds a new light on how to design and develop hemoperfusion bilirubin adsorbents with good overall clinical performance, as well as providing a novel idea and experimental referrences for future related topics.

Construction of blood compatible lysine-immobilized chitin/carbon nanotube microspheres and potential applications for blood purified therapy

Novel lysine-immobilized chitin/carbon nanotube microspheres are prepared with excellent bilirubin adsorption properties and good blood compatibility for blood purified therapy.

A surface molecularly imprinted electrospun polyethersulfone (PES) fiber mat for selective removal of bilirubin

Electrospinning and surface molecular imprinting were used together to prepare a surface molecularly imprinted electrospun polyethersulfone (PES) fiber mat for selective removal of bilirubin.

Cellulose as a Scaffold for Self-Assembly: From Basic Research to Real Applications

Cellulose has received a tremendous amount of attention both in academia and industry owing to its unique structural features, impressive physical-chemical properties, and wide applications. This natural polymer is originally used for packaging, paper, lightweight composites, and so forth and is now being developed for various new areas, such as antibacterial treatment, catalysis, water purification and separation, and biological and environmental analysis. In the current article, we summarize the recent developments in the self-assembly of cellulose with various species including metal ions and metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. Then we highlight several key application areas of cellulose-based composites by reviewing the recent representative literature in each area. A significant part of this review demonstrates some exciting innovations for a wide range of practical applications of cellulose-based composites. Some challenges are also discussed with a view toward future developments.

Highly flexible heparin-modified chitosan/graphene oxide hybrid hydrogel as a super bilirubin adsorbent with excellent hemocompatibility

A highly flexible heparin-modified chitosan/graphene oxide hydrogel was prepared using lyophilization–neutralization–modification as a blood-compatible adsorbent for bilirubin removal.