Creation of Porous Fibers that Adsorb Pathogenic Substances of Intractable Diseases

Toray Industries, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Mitsuo Ohya, hereinafter "Toray") has developed a technology (hereinafter "this technology") to arbitrarily control the pore diameter of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) porous fibers over a wide range from a few nm to about 1,000 nm, leading to the creation of porous fibers capable of selectively adsorbing pathogenic substances of intractable diseases. This technology contributes to proposing new blood purification treatment options that can replace or have a synergistic effect with conventional treatments for intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.

With an aging population and diversifying lifestyles, the number of patients with intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer is increasing annually. For these diseases, there are many cases where drug treatment and surgery alone are not sufficiently effective, or where side effects or the risk of recurrence are a challenge. In this context, there is a growing demand for technology that can efficiently remove high-molecular-weight pathogenic substances such as autoantibodies, lipoproteins, and exosomes from the blood.

PMMA is a material with good biocompatibility and moderate protein adsorption properties, and Toray is the only company in the industry to have commercialized PMMA porous fibers. Specifically, they are manufactured and sold as artificial kidneys and adsorption-type blood purifiers, with about 50 years of experience in blood purification therapy applications.

By combining advanced analytical techniques such as small-angle X-ray scattering with digital technologies like phase separation simulations, Toray analyzed the nano-level phase separation behavior in the spinning process of PMMA porous fibers in real-time. This led to the development of a pore size control technology that can manage pore diameters up to about 1,000 nm, an increase of more than 50 times compared to conventional methods. Generally, increasing the pore size makes the fiber structure sparse and reduces its strength, but this technology makes it possible to achieve both large pore size and strength. The application of this technology enables the selective adsorption and removal of high-molecular-weight pathogenic substances that could not be captured inside the pores before.

Going forward, Toray will advance the design of pore sizes suitable for each disease and the development of mass production technology for the treatment of intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer, aiming for early commercialization. Furthermore, this technology can be applied to fields other than medical devices; for example, its expansion into biopharmaceutical manufacturing applications is also being promoted.

Toray will continue to embody its corporate philosophy, "Contributing to society through the creation of new value," by promoting the development of high-value-added products using advanced materials technology, aiming for sustainable growth and expansion along with social contribution.

1) December 20, 2022 News Release
・Content: "Creation of a fiber that efficiently adsorbs pathogenic proteins in the blood"

・Link: https://www.toray.co.jp/news/article.html?contentId=v7dxb7ht

2) November 10, 2023 News Release

・Content: "PMMA porous column that efficiently adsorbs pathogenic proteins in the blood receives '2023 Japanese Society for Artificial Organs Technology Award'"

・Link: https://www.toray.co.jp/news/article.html?contentId=hxpvupms