Magnetic blood filtration for the treatment of anti-biotic resistant bacterial Sepsis

MediSieve is developing "SepSieve" a novel method of treating sepsis by removing specific diseases-causing components directly from patient's bloodstreams. The process is similar to dialysis - a patient's blood is circulated through an extra-corporeal loop, passing through MediSieve's system which specifically targets and extracts unwanted substances.

The focus of this project is to develop and validate an antibody coated magnetic particle (Ab-MP) that can target anti-microbial resistant (AMR) gram-negative bacteria (E. coli in this project). These same Ab-MPs will also be able to bind the sepsis endotoxins (LPS). Combined with MediSieve’s existing magnetic blood filter, these Ab-MPs will enable the targeting and removal from the bloodstream of two of the root causes of AMR sepsis: bacteria and LPS together cause the overactive immune response that is characteristic of sepsis. If this response is not controlled, the patient can escalade to sepsis shock, causing organ failure and death.

Experts are particularly concerned about the impact of sepsis caused AMR strains of bacteria. Since antibiotics are the main frontline treatment, resistant infections (such as MRSA), pose a serious threat to the public, patients and those around them. As a purely physical method, MediSieve's SepSieve system can circumvent antibiotic resistance, providing a treatment that can be used in serious resistant cases. SepSieve would improve outcomes in both resistant and non-resistant Sepsis, by greatly accelerating the clearance rate of AMR bacteria and LPS from the patient’s bloodstream, reducing patient suffering, total treatment costs and mortality rates.

This project supports the development of MediSieve's Ab-MPs to bind to LPS and bacteria in the bloodstream. They will be tested in benchtop and animal trials, validating their safety and efficacy in terms of their ability to remove LPS and AMR E. coli from human blood, before full integrating into MediSieve’s extra-corporeal magnetic blood filtration system. At the end of the project, the product will be ready for first in man clinical trials.