Magnetic Force Could Cleanse Blood of Sepsis
Researchers in the Vascular Biology Program at Children’s Hospital Boston have developed a magnetic blood-cleansing system that removes pathogens from a patient’s blood, as detailed in this study from the journal Lab on a Chip.
The system's concept sounds surprisingly simple. Blood is drawn, and tiny magnetic beads pre-coated with antibodies against specific pathogens are added. The blood is then run through a microfluidic system in which two liquid flow streams, one containing blood, the other a saline-based collection fluid, run side by side without mixing. The beads bind to the pathogens, and a magnet then pulls them into the collection fluid. The collection fluid is discarded and the cleansed blood is reintroduced into the patient.
Sepsis is a deadly bloodstream infection responsible for 200,000 deaths a year in the U.S. alone, with few effective treatment methods available.