The invention is directed to the removal of serum gal-3 from circulation by plasmapheresis, comprising at least in part donor apheresis, using gal-3 binding agents in either a fixed bed, or in a form easily removed, such as by being complexed with magnetic particles. This method, on its own, brings a sharp reduction and relief from the inflammation and fibroses that can be induced by circulating gal-3. The process may be combined with the administration of gal-3 binding agents, such as modified citrus pectin, to further lower unbound gal-3 levels, to the point where gal-3 in the tissues may be addressed. This method may also be combined with removal of TNF receptors to provide an effective treatment for cancer.

The present invention relates to an apheresis device (1) for the extracorporeal removal of C-reactive protein from blood of a patient, wherein the apheresis device is connectable to the blood circulation of the patient. The blood is pumped via a part of the extracorporeal circulation system (2) of the apheresis device (1) according to the invention to a cell separator (7) for separation of the blood into blood plasma and cellular components. Via a first outlet of the cell separator (7), the separated blood plasma is directed by means of a plasma line (8A) to an apheresis column (4) for affinity chromatographic removal of C-reactive protein from the blood plasma. After removal of the C-reactive protein from the blood plasma of the patient, said now treated blood plasma is combined with the cellular components of the blood via a plasma line (8B). Furthermore, the apheresis device (1) according to the invention comprises a bypass line (12), which leads from the plasma line (8A) into the plasma line (8B) while bypassing the apheresis column (4). The apheresis device (1) according to the invention also comprises a regeneration line (14), which runs into the plasma line (8A) or directly into the apheresis column (4).

The present disclosure is directed to methods of removing proteins, including cytokines, from blood and blood products, the methods comprising contacting the blood or blood product with a form of carbon having high graphitic contents and slit-shaped mesopores and macropores, the pore size dimensions chosen to be comparable to the size of the proteins, wherein the contacting results in the removal of high levels of the protein from the blood or blood product in minutes or hours.

A method of providing therapeutic treatment by delivering therapeutic aptamers locally to a target site using microneedles includes providing complementary sequence modified microneedles by reacting a complementary sequence (CS) with a polymer thereby forming a covalent bond between the polymer and the CS, forming microneedle patches using an initial casting solution consisting of the polymer, the therapeutic aptamer, and a covalent bond between a complementary sequence (CS) and the polymer, thereby loading the therapeutic aptamer into the microneedles, each microneedle having a base, shaft and tip, physically binding the therapeutic aptamer to the CS, inserting the microneedles into the tissue such that the tips and shafts are embedded into the target site and the bases are on a surface of the target site, and sustained release of the aptamer to the target site due to dissociation of the aptamer from the CS over time.

A system is disclosed for recovering autologous thrombin from a blood product. The blood product is drawn into an injecting syringe and a clot is allowed to form. A discharge port of the injecting syringe is communicably connected to an intake port of an aspirating syringe through a hydrophilic filter assembly. The injecting and aspirating syringes are simultaneously operated to transmit blood product through the filter such that fibrous clotting material and red blood cells are removed by the filter and a concentrated, high-quality thrombin solution is recovered.

A plasmapheresis device includes a column or other flow mechanism in which plasma lows following separation of the plasma from cellular components like blood cells, platelets and the like. The column includes a moiety, such as an antibody, which selectively binds to galectin-3. By removing galectin-3 from the blood stream of a mammal by at least 10%, improvements in the treatment of inflammation, suppression of the formation of fibroses, and a variety of cancer treatments can be effected or improved. The device provides tor multiple columns to remove a variety of elements but includes one which selectively removes galectin-3 from the blood flow. Other agents may be added to the plasma before recombination with the cellular components of the blood, and before returning the recombined flow to the patient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ligand-immobilized sea-island composite fiber in which generation of fine particles due to peeling of a sea component from an island component and generation of fine particles due to destruction of a fragile sea component are both suppressed. The present invention provides a sea-island composite fiber comprising a sea component and island components, in which a value (L/S) obtained by dividing the average total length (L) of the perimeter of all island components in a cross section perpendicular to the fiber axis by the average cross-sectional area (S) of the cross section is from 1.0 to 50.0 μm.sup.−1, a distance from the surface to the outermost island component is 1.9 μm or less, and an amino group-containing compound is covalently bonded to a polymer constituting the sea component at a charge density of 0.1 μmol or more and less than 500 μmol per 1 gram dry weight.

A dialysis device (100) comprises: a dialyzer for exchange of substances between a blood flow and a dialysate flow in a dialysis area (106) of the dialyzer, wherein the dialyzer comprises a dialyzer membrane (110) for passing toxins in the blood flow to the dialysate flow through pores (112) of the dialyzer membrane (110); and a capacitively coupled generator (120) for generating electromagnetic fields in the dialysis area (106) for loosening electrostatic bonds between toxins and proteins in the blood flow, wherein the generator (120) is capacitively coupled to the blood flow and to the dialysate flow on opposite sides of the dialyzer membrane, and wherein the dialysate membrane (110) is formed of a material having lower conductance than blood and dialysate such that a large electromagnetic field strength is provided across the pores (112) of the dialyzer membrane (110).

A plasmapheresis device includes a column or other flow mechanism in which plasma flows following separation of the plasma from cellular components like blood cells, platelets and the like. The column includes a moiety, such as an antibody, which selectively binds to galectin-3. By removing galectin-3 from the blood stream of a mammal by at least 10%, improvements in the treatment of inflammation, suppression of the formation of fibroses, and a variety of cancer treatments can be effected or improved. The device provides for multiple columns to remove a variety of elements but includes one which selectively removes galectin-3 from the blood flow. Other agents may be added to the plasma before recombination with the cellular components of the blood, and before returning the recombined flow to the patient.

An applicator for use in tissue treatment, a method and a kit using the same. The applicator includes (i) a first chamber for holding whole blood, (ii) a second chamber for holding a coagulation initiator, and (iii) a dispensing element configured for concomitantly receiving, upon actuating the applicator, a volume of whole blood from said first chamber and a volume of coagulation initiator from said second chamber and dispensing the two together onto a tissue in need of treatment.