NIRI filtration technology to remove antibodies from blood

This brings NIRI together with Carbosynth, a specialist in carbohydrates and nucleosides for the pharmaceutical and biotech communities, Macopharma, an international leader in the fields of transfusion, infusion and bioengineering and the UK’s NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).

And their plan could well prove to be game-changing for the blood transfusion industry worldwide – a new filtration technology which can successfully remove antibodies from donated blood.

The feasibility of developing such a product by employing NIRI’s Hydrospace nonwoven technology containing an active ingredient for the selective removal of harmful antibodies in donated blood plasma has already been proven in a previous UK Technology Strategy Board-funded feasibility study.

Cavities

Hydrospace fabrics are lightweight hydroentangled fabrics with unique internal cavities within the cross-section. These can be of many different shapes and sizes, and cavities smaller than 0.5mm in diameter can be engineered. The cavities can be filled with gels, waxes, cosmetics, detergents and solid particles to functionalise the fabric.

Hydrospace enables the storage and release, or the controlled delivery of functional or active agents from the cavities. Fragile, hydrophilic and particulate materials can be introduced to the cavities during fabric formation. Adjacent spaces can be filled with different materials or the same spaces can be filled with dispersions, gels or combinations of solids and liquids as the fabric is made. The upper and lower surfaces of the fabric can be engineered to control the rate of delivery of the contents.

Carbosynth, meanwhile, is able to draw upon a wide range of experience in chemistries and processes, especially in the fields of carbohydrates and nucleosides. Carbosynth offers a wide range of products based around carbohydrates and has recently opened laboratories in the UK to expand this further as custom synthesis is one of its fastest-growing business sectors It also develops a range of niche fine chemicals that include versatile building blocks or products with specialist applications ranging from biochemical reagents, natural antioxidants and coupling agents, to activators in peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis.

Universal plasma

The Sanguis project team is currently working to combine Hydrospace with a Carbosynth active ingredient, in order to develop a robust, high-quality blood filter which is effective at removing blood-group specific antibodies.

This filter could conceivably enable the production of universal plasma and once developed, the blood pack manufacturing partner, Macopharma, is planning to gain marketing authorisation approval and commercialise it.