ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY MEMBRANES OF IMPROVED BIOCOMPATIBILITY

HEMODIALYSIS IS WIDELY USED TO SUSTAIN LIFE IN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LOST KIDNEY FUNCTION. THE MEMBRANE MATERIAL MOST COMMONLY USED FOR THIS PURPOSE IS REGENERATED CELLULOSE. HOWEVER, REGENERATED CELLULOSE IS NOT INERT; IT STIMULATES THE COAGULATION AND COMPLEMENT SYSTEMS AND MAY BE A CAUSE OFBOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC MORBIDITY FOR THE PATIENT. FURTHER, ITS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES LIMIT METHODS OF STERILIZATION AND ITS USEFULNESS FOR MULTIPLE USE. A SUBSTITUTE FOR REGENERA-TED CELLULOSE IS BEING SOUGHT BY DEVICE MANUFACTURERS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES TO REGENERATED CELLULOSE. A VARIETY OF POLYMERS WILL BE FORMULATED THAT SHOULD POSSESS SUPERIOR BIOCOMPATIBILITY TO REGENERATED CELLULOSE, THAT HAVE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES SUITED TO REUSE AND ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF STERILIZATION, AND THAT CAN BE FABRICATED INTO MEMBRANES BY ECONOMICALLY VIABLE METHODS. THE MEMBRANES WILL BE TESTED IN VITRO TO (1) COMPARE THEIR BIOCOMPATIBILITY TO REGENERATED CELLULOSE, (2)EXAMINE THEIR THROMBOGENIC POTENTIAL, (3) EVALUATE THEIR PROPENSITY TO ACTIVATE COMPLEMENT, AND (4) ASSESS THEIR DIRECT ACTION, IF ANY, ON THE CELLULAR COMPONENTS OF BLOOD. UNIVERSITY MEDICAL ASSOCIATES WILL ENSURE THE MATERIALS ARE RESISTANT TO THE CHEMICALS USED FOR DIALYZER REUSE AND THAT THEY CAN BE FABRICATED INTO MEMBRANES WITH MASS TRANSFER PROPERTIES SUITABLE FOR HEMODIALYSIS. IN PHASE II OF THE PROGRAM, THE MOST PROMISING MATERIALS WILL BE FABRICATED INTO DIALYZERS AND THE RESULTS CONFIRMED IN VIVO USING AN ANIMAL MODEL. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND CLINICAL TRIALS OF CLINICAL DIALYZERS.