A South Korean research team has developed a nanoparticle technology to eliminate viruses and bacteria from the blood of patients. The method is expected to bring new opportunities for treating infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Moreover, the unique approach could be a boon to patients infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The research team, led by Kang Joo-Heon, professor of biomedical engineering at South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), announced on Sept. 26 that it has developed a new “blood purification technology” using a magnetic nanoparticle camouflaged with the blood cell membrane. Magnetic nanoparticles are particles of natural or synthetic materials, thousands of times smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper.
Coating the tiny particles with cell membranes camouflages them and allows them to escape the monitoring of the immune system.
Cell-camouflaged magnetic nanoparticles have been a focus of research in recent years. Most research has focused on the cells’ potential for drug delivery: particularly in cancer treatment.