Utilization of nanobiotechnology in haemodialysis: mock-dialysis experiments on homocysteine.

BACKGROUND The utilization of modern achievements from nanobiotechnology has resulted in novel modalities for renal replacement therapy. For conventional intermittent haemodialysis (HD), sophisticated membranes are currently being manufactured that guarantee selective removal of target toxins. These membranes have a narrow pore-size distribution that is focused around a mean value at the nanometre level. For continuous HD, novel artificial renal devices are currently being designed and evaluated in in vitro experiments that will be both implantable and have continuous function. METHODS We present mock-dialysis experiments using magnetically assisted HD (MAHD) that we very recently introduced for the selective removal of target toxins. MAHD is based on the preparation of conjugates (Cs) made up of biocompatible ferromagnetic nanoparticles (FNs) and a specifically designed targeted binding substance that must have a high affinity for a specific target toxin substance. The FN-targeted binding substance Cs should be administered to the patient prior to MAHD to allow for binding with the target toxin substance in the bloodstream. The complex FN-targeted binding substance-target toxin substance will then be removed by a 'magnetic dialyzer' that is installed in the dialysis machine in series to the conventional dialyzer. In the present work, we compared the in vitro efficiency of MAHD to conventional HD for the removal of homocysteine (Hcy) during mock-dialysis experiments. RESULTS These mock-dialysis experiments performed on Hcy revealed that both the removal rate and the overall removal efficiency of MAHD were significantly greater than conventional HD. CONCLUSIONS MAHD appears to be a promising method that can be employed for the selective and more efficient extraction of toxins that are not adequately removed by conventional HD.