Applications of high polymers, especially conventional polymers used in an extracorporeal blood purification system, are discussed through the development of an LDL (low-density lipoprotein) apheresis system.
An adsorption-based blood purification system designed to remove LDL selectively (a major risk factor leading to severe heart disease) was developed using dextransulfate as the specific ligand to adsorb LDL. Dextransulfate, in order to give a novel function similar to that of an LDL receptor, was covalently bound to porous cellulose beads with optimized morphology. The sophisticated function of an LDL receptor was successfully mimicked by the appropriate combination of well-defined conventional polymers, namely dextransulfate and cellulose. A total apheresis system, including a plasma separator, was also designed solely utilizing high polymers. This enabled the total system to be disposable, ensuring reliability. High polymers used in the system were all conventional polymers, those already qualified and evaluated for medical use. In designing this new blood purification system, our approach was to employ many of the conventional and qualified polymers, leading to a system industrially manufacturable, reliable and accepted as standard treatment in the medical community.
This system demonstrated efficacy for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia, and is widely used in the world as standard treatment.