Hemoperfusion adsorbents from porous PMMA microspheres: synthesis approaches and their cytokine removal efficiency

The renewed interest in hemoperfusion for extracorporeal blood purification has spurred extensive research into the development of new potential adsorbents. In this study, the potential of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a hemoperfusion adsorbent was explored. An approach to prepare a suitable adsorbent from PMMA was developed. Porous PMMA microspheres with a size over 300 μm and a high specific surface area were prepared with the ability to tune their pore structure by changing the porogen concentration. Hemocompatibility was thoroughly evaluated to assess their suitability for direct blood-contact hemoperfusion applications. The newly developed porous PMMA microspheres demonstrated effective removal of representative cytokines (MCP-1 and IL-6) with different molecular weights and net charges at physiological pH, achieving approximately 80% removal efficiency. These results highlight their strong potential as hemoperfusion adsorbents.