Nanomagnet-based removal of lead and digoxin from living rats

• Published in: Nanoscale 2013-09, Vol.5 (18), p.8718-8723
• Main Authors: Herrmann, Inge K, Schlegel, Andrea, Graf, Rolf, Schumacher, Christoph M, Senn, Nico, Hasler, Melanie, Gschwind, Sabrina, Hirt, Ann-Marie, Günther, Detlef, Clavien, Pierre-Alain, Stark, Wendelin J, Beck-Schimmer, Beatrice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteria; Blood; Blood circulation; Carbon Compounds, Inorganic - chemistry; Digoxin - blood; Digoxin - isolation & purification; Iron Compounds - chemistry; Lead - blood; Lead - isolation & purification; Liver - pathology; Lung - pathology; Magnetics; Male; Models, Animal; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanoparticles - metabolism; Nanostructure; Platinum - chemistry; Purification; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Toxins
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02468g

In a number of clinical conditions such as intoxication, bacteraemia or autoimmune diseases the removal of the disease-causing factor from blood would be the most direct cure. However, physicochemical characteristics of the target compounds limit the applicability of classical filtration and diffusion-based processes. In this work, we present a first in vivo magnetic blood purification rodent animal model and demonstrate its ability to rapidly clear toxins from blood circulation using two model toxins with stable plasma levels (lead (Pb 2+ ) and digoxin). Ultra-strong functionalized metal nanomagnets are employed to eliminate the toxin from whole blood in an extracorporeal circuit. In the present experimental demonstration over 40% of the toxin ( i.e. lead or digoxin) was removed within the first 10 minutes and over 75% within 40 minutes. After capturing the target substance, a magnetic trap prevents the toxin-loaded nanoparticles from entering the blood circulation. Elemental analysis and magnetic hysteresis measurements confirm full particle recovery by simple magnetic separation (residual particle concentration below 1 μg mL −1 (detection limit)). We demonstrate that magnetic separation-based blood purification offers rapid blood cleaning from noxious agents, germs or other deleterious materials with relevance to a number of clinical conditions. Based on this new approach, current blood purification technologies can be extended to efficiently remove disease-causing factors, e.g. overdosed drugs, bacteria or cancer cells without being limited by filter cut-offs or column surface saturation. We present an in vivo magnetic-separation-based blood purification technology that offers rapid blood cleaning with relevance to various clinical conditions.