Hemopurifier Removes Viruses from Blood by Filtration

A hemopurifier has been developed to filter out viruses and toxins from blood before they attack organs.

The method is very similar to dialysis, and can be used to help patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C (HIC), measles, mumps, and influenza. It can also begin working before doctors identify the cause of the illness. Designed by infectious disease experts, the machine uses thin fibers to capture and remove viruses from the blood it filters. The process requires the drawing of blood through an artery, which is sent through a tube into the machine.

The toxin filters work like a colander, allowing small viruses through but not large red and white blood cells. The filter, which is made from a biocompatible plastic called polysulfone, is coated with special plant-derived antibodies that hold fast to the pathogens, ensuring that they do not reenter the bloodstream. Purified blood travels back into the body through a second tube inserted into another artery. The human body typically contains about five liters of blood. The entire quantity can flow through the Hemopurifier in about 12 minutes. The process is repeated until all the toxins are removed--usually within a few hours

The Hemopurifier resembles a shrunken dialysis cartridge, the device that purifies the blood of patients whose kidneys have failed. Both use a filter to remove toxins from blood. But unlike traditional dialysis, the hemopurifier also includes plant-derived antibodies, such as cyanovirin, that bind to a variety of viruses and eliminates them from the bloodstream. The plant solution can be modified to weed out even genetically engineered organisms.

Aethlon Medical (San Diego, CA, USA) manufactured two versions of the hemopurifier device. One, a foot long and an inch wide, is designed for use in hospitals; the other, the size of a large pen, is meant for use in the field. Both types attach to a pump. The portable version could work without the pump, using the patient's heart as the engine to force blood through the filter.

Aethlon recently shipped several hemopurifiers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA, USA) for cell culture tests on human blood infected with Ebola. Meanwhile, the company has already completed its own tests in animals. Although promising, the Hemopurifier still has a few big hurdles to clear, the biggest of which is successful testing in humans. Aethlon is completing safety trials in India and hopes to begin clinical tests in the United States by the end of 2008.


Related Links:
Aethlon Medical
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention