Creation of Porous Fibers That Adsorb Pathogenic Substances of Intractable Diseases

Toray Industries, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Mitsuo Oya; hereinafter "Toray") has developed a technology (hereinafter "the Technology") to arbitrarily control the pore diameter of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) porous fibers in a wide range from several nanometers to about 1,000 nm, leading to the creation of porous fibers capable of selectively adsorbing pathogenic substances of intractable diseases. The Technology contributes to proposing new blood purification treatment options that can replace or provide synergistic effects with conventional treatment methods for intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.

With the aging of the population and the diversification of lifestyles, the number of patients with intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer is increasing year by year. In these diseases, there are not a few cases where sufficient effects cannot be obtained with drug therapy or surgery alone, or where side effects or the risk of recurrence become issues. In this context, there is a growing demand for technology that can efficiently remove large-molecular-weight pathogenic substances such as autoantibodies, lipoproteins, and exosomes in the blood.

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

By using a combination of advanced analytical technologies such as small-angle X-ray scattering and digital technologies such as phase separation simulations, Toray has developed a pore size control technology that can control the pore diameter up to about 1,000 nm—more than 50 times the conventional size—by analyzing the nano-level phase separation behavior during the spinning process of PMMA porous fibers in real time. Generally, increasing the pore size makes the fiber structure sparse and reduces its strength, but this technology allows for both a large pore size and high strength. The application of this technology makes it possible to selectively adsorb and remove large-molecular-weight pathogenic substances that could not be captured inside the pores conventionally.

Going forward, we will proceed with designing pore sizes suitable for each disease and developing mass production technology for the treatment of intractable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer, aiming for early practical application. Furthermore, the Technology can be expanded beyond medical devices; for example, we are also promoting its development for applications in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

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 utilizing advanced materials technology, aiming for sustainable growth and expansion while contributing to society.