Dynamics of TNF Capture Within Hemoadsorption Beads Used to Treat Sepsis

Sepsis is a serious medical condition characterized by systemic inflammation caused by infection, and affects more than 750,000 individuals per year in the US, with a mortality rate of approximately 30% [1]. The pathophysiology of sepsis is complex and not entirely understood, but is believed to be related to the dysfunction of multiple interdependent humoral mediator pathways, including redundant release of inflammatory cytokines [2]. Removal of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines from the circulating blood is believed to be a promising therapy for severe sepsis [3]. We are developing an extracorporeal hemoadsorption device to remove cytokines from the blood using a novel, biocompatible, sorbent bead technology. In this work, we examined the adsorption dynamics of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) within hemoadsorption beads using packed bed capture experiments and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC).