Artificial Spleen Removes Ebola, HIV Viruses and Toxins From Blood Using Magnets

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/artificial-spleen-removes-ebola-hiv-viruses-toxins-blood-using-magnets-1465585

Harvard scientists have invented a new artificial spleen that is able to clear toxins, fungi and deadly pathogens such as Ebola from human blood, which could potentially save millions of lives.

To overcome this, researchers have invented a "biospleen", a device similar to a dialysis machine that makes use of magnetic nanobeads measuring 128 nanometres in diameter (one-five hundredths the width of a single human hair) coated with mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a type of genetically engineered human blood protein.

The researchers also tested the bio-spleen on rats that had been infected by toxins and viruses such as E. coli and S. aureus. After just five hours of filtering, 90% of the toxins and pathogens had been removed from the rats' bloodstreams and 90% of the treated rats survived.

[newfie11]

1. That's fantastic

And good timing

[LiberalEsto]

2. I hope this is the answer

and I hope we can manufacture enough of them in time to save people in Africa.

[AngryAmish]

3. How do magnets work?

[Dr Hobbitstein]

4. Ask ICP?

[MattBaggins]

14. Invisible hooks

[WestCoastLib]

15. Magnetism

[tclambert]

17. Witchcraft.

Or maybe you wondered how they function in this particular application. The tiny nano-beads coated with something that binds to the pathogens are themselves magnetic or made of something that will stick to magnets. Then you can use magnets to collect the contaminated nano-beads. Pathogen sticks to antigen which sticks to nano-bead which sticks to magnet.

Like I said, witchcraft.

[NuclearDem]

18. Fucking magnets!

[Initech]

20. Ask the juggalos, yo!

[Duer 157099]

21. Assuming that is a serious question...

the magnetic particles are coated with stuff that binds to the bad stuff and then can be pulled away using other magnets.

magnet + antibody (for example)

antibody binds to antigen (virus, bacteria, whatever)

use magnet to separate antigen+antibody+magnet from the other material (blood, whatever)

[magical thyme]

5. hope this works out. this could be the answer to antibiotic resistance. nt

[Progressive dog]

6. It does not have anything to do with Ebola (yes it does-sorry)

Last edited Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Ebola is a virus and the abstract (linked from ibtimes) does not mention viruses of any kind. (true but ebola is mentioned in Nature article)
Mother Jones investigated IBTimes, the article is in May-June issue. Personally, I avoid media outlets with close links to religious cults.
( I still don't like IBTimes)

[stevenleser]

7. IBTimes report is about a peer reviewed article in a science magazine

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.3640.html

[freshwest]

8. Thank you! This will be a life saver for those who are given the chance to have it done.

[Progressive dog]

10. You are right, I read the abstract

in Nature that the IBTimes linked to, and jumped to a wrong conclusion. Nature did mention Ebola in an article.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. The Harvard video at the link does mention 'viruses' in the list of possible targets

('over 90 pathogens - different types of bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites and toxins'). But I think they have to engineer the molecule for each new target.

The press release - more reliable: http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/166

And Nature does quote the team leader in an article:

Ingber says that the biospleen could also help to treat viral diseases such as HIV and Ebola, in which survival depends on lowering the amount of virus in the blood to a negligible level. His group is now testing the biospleen on pigs.

http://www.nature.com/news/artificial-spleen-cleans-up-blood-1.15917

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. How has nobody posted this yet????

[stevenleser]

11. LMAO

Included this in my FB post of this article!

[Iliyah]

13. K & R

Nice to get some good news every once in a while.

[valerief]

16. Well, the wealthy will be taken care of. The rest of us? They'll say it's

too expensive.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. This would be good for the Red Cross blood supply too.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. It sure would!