Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have 3-D printed a device similar to the human liver that can detoxify blood.
The device is designed to be used outside the body, according to Gizmag. It can sense, attract and neutralize toxins in the bloodstream.
The technology was created by Shaochen Chen, a professor in nanoengineering, as a way to capture pore-forming toxins that have the ability to damage cell membranes.
Nanoparticles have been previously shown to neutralize pore-forming toxins in the blood. However, if the nanoparticles can't be digested effectively, they can accumulate in the liver and risk secondary poisoning. This risk of poisoning could be greater for patients who are already at risk for liver failure, The Financial Express reported.
The research team solved this problem by creating a 3D-printed hydrogel matrix that holds nanoparticles. This process creates a device that can copy the functions of the liver by sensing, attracting and capturing the toxins.
The device is in the proof-of-concept stage. It has a larger surface area than an actual liver. The surface area is designed to attract and trap the toxins inside the device, The Financial Express reported.
"One unique feature of this device is that it turns red when the toxins are captured," said Xin Qu, co-first author and postdoctoral researcher at Chen's laboratory.
The team reported that in a vitro study, the device completely neutralized toxins routed from the blood, Gizmag reported.
"The concept of using 3D printing to encapsulate functional nanoparticles in a biocompatible hydrogel is novel," Chen said. "This will inspire many new designs for detoxification techniques since 3D printing allows user-specific or site-specific manufacturing of highly functional products."
Currently, Chen is working on a special biofabrication technology called dynamic optical projection stereolithography (DOPsL) in order to 3D print the liver-copying microstructure, Gizmag reported.
The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
