The present system and method are useful for the removal of immune inhibitors such as soluble TNF receptors from the body fluid of cancer patients. In some embodiments, soluble TNF-Receptors 1 and 2 are selectively removed from plasma at 80% or more efficiency. In some embodiments, the system includes an immobilized capture ligand of a single chain TNFα. The system and method are useful for the treatment of different cancer types, stages and severity.

A blood treatment system comprising at least one first device and at least one second device, wherein the first device is a membrane filter for the removal of toxic mediators from blood and the second device is suitable for the removal of granulocytes and monocytes from blood. The first device has a first blood flow path a first blood flow path for conducting blood through and the second device has a second blood flow path. The first and second devices are serially connected in succession in such a way that the first blood flow path is in fluid communication with the second blood flow path.

The membrane has an interior filter space in its housing and a semipermeable membrane arranged in the interior filter space, which membrane divides the interior filter space into a retentate chamber and permeate chamber. The housing has a blood inlet device and a blood outlet device that are in fluid communication with the retentate chamber, as well as a permeate outlet for diverting permeate from the permeate chamber. The blood inlet device, the retentate chamber and the blood outlet device form the first blood flow path. The membrane filter has a separation characteristic such that the sieve coefficient for albumin, SK.sub.Alb, is within the range from 0.015 to 0.35.

A fluid extraction or filtration device for removing fluid from a body, the device comprising an array of microneedles for contacting fluid in said body and an absorbent gel matrix in fluid communication with said array of microneedles. There is further provided a combined fluid extraction and sampling device and methods employing the device(s), for example in determining the level of a target species in a sample of fluid, transdermal dialysis and renal replacement therapy. There is further provided an absorbent gel matrix for use in the treatment of uraemia and a haemodialysis filter comprising an absorbent gel matrix. Use of such a matrix is described in the context of methods including haemodialysis, transdermal dialysis and gastrointestinal dialysis.

The present invention relates to a method for extracorporeal removal of a pathogenic microbe, an inflammatory cell or an inflammatory protein from mammalian blood/use of a device comprising a carbohydrate immobilized on a solid substrate, said carbohydrate having a binding affinity for a pathogenic microbe, an inflammatory cell or an inflammatory protein, for extracorporeal removal of said pathogenic microbe, inflammatory cell or inflammatory protein from mammalian blood/use of a carbohydrate having a binding affinity for a pathogenic microbe, an inflammatory cell or an inflammatory protein, wherein said carbohydrate is immobilized on a solid substrate, in the preparation of a device for treatment of a condition caused or aggravated by said pathogenic microbe, inflammatory cell or inflammatory protein and a method for treatment of a mammalian subject suffering from a condition caused or aggravated by a pathogenic microbe, an inflammatory cell or an inflammatory protein.

A three component composition for use in the treatment of an autoimmune disease where the first component comprises a bimodal synthetic carbon particle mixture; the second component comprises a bimodal synthetic carbon particle mixture and an anion exchange resin and the third component comprises a bimodal synthetic carbon particle mixture and a cation exchange resin.

A process is provided for producing a structure into which blood or other bio-fluids can flow by capillary action, e.g. for a whole blood microsampling probe. The process comprises mixing particles of novolak resin and particles of hydrocarbon polymer, producing an uncarbonized structure from the mixture by pressurised moulding and carbonizing the moulded structure, the hydrocarbon resin being a polymer such as polystyrene that on pyrolysis has a zero carbon yield, and the particles of the hydrocarbon polymer leaving voids in the carbonized structure of sufficient size for flow of whole blood into and through the structure. The particles may be of partly cured and milled novolak resin, the novolak particles when in the moulded structure not exhibiting bulk flow during carbonization but sintering at inter-particle contact points during carbonization to provide a consolidated structure. In this variant, ethylene glycol may be used as a sintering aid. Alternatively, the particles may be of fully cured and milled novolak resin, and are mixed with the hydrocarbon polymer , the lubricant and with a binder such as lignin for providing a consolidated structure.

Provided herein are compositions including biocompatible magnetizeable nanoparticles. The nanoparticles have a diameter (average diameter) from about 10 to about 300 nanometers and are biocompatible and magnetic. The nanoparticles may be a disc formed from iron oxide. The disc may be conjugated to a target-binding moiety capable of binding a target. The target may be cancer cells, pathogens, fat cells, or atherosclerotic plaques.

A fiber for protein adsorption has a water absorption percentage of 1 to 50%, and the fiber includes a polymer containing as repeat units an aromatic hydrocarbon or a derivative thereof, wherein part of aromatic rings contained in the repeat units are cross-linked through a structure represented by Formula (I). A column for protein adsorption uses the fibers. A in Formula (I) is selected from an alkyl aliphatic group, phenyl aromatic group and amino group.

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The present disclosure provides methods and systems for treating a biological fluid of a subject suffering from a microbial infection (e.g., a drug-resistant microbial infection). In some embodiments, these methods and systems involve a complement receptor immobilized on, or otherwise associated with a polymer substrate, for example, high surface area particles, membranes, hollow fibers, and/or other porous or non-porous media. In other embodiments, the methods and systems involve a complement receptor present in a dialysate used in a dialyzer for extracting pathogens out of a biological fluid, for example, the blood of a patient.

This invention teaches a targeted apheresis method of treating a pregnant woman with preeclampsia, or who is predisposed to developing preeclampsia, utilizing immobilized binding agents contained within an apheresis device to remove sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-2, and one or more other harmful factors associated with preeclampsia selected from a list that includes: sEndoglin, Endothelin-1, TNF, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, digitalis-like factor, ouabain-like factor,

marinobufagenin, .marinobufotoxenin, and telocinobufagin. The binding agents used are antibodies or aptamers or binding peptides. Reducing the concentration of sVEGFR-1, sVEGFR-2 and other harmful factors in the pregnant woman's blood using targeted apheresis will alleviate or delay the symptoms of preeclampsia, and thus postpone premature delivery of the baby so that the baby is born at term or as close to term as possible.