American Wes Bionic Engineering Institute recently developed a high-tech equipment “bio spleen”, This device is inspired by the function of the spleen, the spleen cleaned can bacteria in the blood – from Escherichiacoli to the Ebola virus – quickly and efficiently cleaned. Sepsis can cause bloodstream infections, which is a life-threatening immune response.
Doctors cannot determine the cause of infection, more than 50 percent may inspire sepsis, so doctors will attack a variety of bacteria with antibiotics, but it can lead to bacterial resistance.
The researchers find a way to remove any of the methods of infection, which developed a “biological spleen” device to filter blood. modified version of the mannose – binding lectin (MBL) magnetic nano-beads coated on the outside, MBL is a protein in the human body , with more than 90% of bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins released by the bacteria die surface glycoprotein molecules. When the blood into the “bio spleen” device, nano-beads by MBL equipment will be combined with most pathogens, and then through the nano-magnet device beads and their “prey” with the blood attached to out, let the blood flow back patient.
To test the device effects, researchers gave some of the mice infected with E. coli or Staphylococcus aureus, with “biological spleen” to do some of the mice blood filtering. Results 5 hours after infection, the mice after 89% of the filtered blood is still alive, but not the blood filter only a 14 % survival rate. The researchers found that “bio spleen” blood of mice can eliminate more than 90 percent of the bacteria. Mice and filtered through blood, lung and other organs are also less inflammation, suggesting the possibility that they develop into septic smaller.
The researchers also tested the “bio spleen” can handle about five liters of blood, the equivalent of an adult all the blood in vivo. They were mixed with human blood of bacteria and fungi, the speed of 1 liter per hour through the “biological Pi”, the device was found in the blood within 5 hours remove most of the pathogens.
Authors, Wes Bionic Engineering Institute, Donald British Gerber said that this efficiency is sufficient to control the infection, when the “biological spleen” cleared from the blood after most pathogens, antibiotics and the immune system will beat the rest of the infection such sojourn in the organ where the bacteria. “Biological spleen” also helps to treat viral infections such as HIV and Ebola, its survival depends on the amount of virus in the blood is reduced to a smaller level. Currently, the research team is testing pigs.
Infection and Immunity, University College London expert Nigel Crane said diagnostician can also use the “bio spleen” pathogens in blood samples collected, train identification, which ultimately determine the best use of drug efficacy. Transfusion and blood filtering has become a routine therapy, he hopes “bio spleen” to enter human clinical trials within two years.
