Immobilization and Magnetic Extraction of Pathogens and Pathogen Components

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention provides a method and composition for removing pathogens (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and their toxins from aqueous solutions or body fluids (including blood) using specially designed superparamagnetic iron-based particles (such as SPIONs) that are functionalized with specific peptides. These particles can bind to pathogens or their components and are then separated from the fluid/sample using a magnetic field, thereby reducing the concentration of harmful agents. The same approach can also concentrate pathogens, aiding their identification for diagnostic purposes without the need for lengthy amplification steps.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Purification of contaminated drinking water to make it safe for human consumption.
• Extracorporeal blood purification in septic patients to remove pathogens and toxins like endotoxins (e.g., LPS), reducing systemic inflammation and organ damage.
• Rapid diagnostic methods by concentrating pathogens from body fluids to enable faster identification and treatment decision-making.
• Filtration and decontamination of medical products, food, or biotechnological fluids to ensure safety.
• Industrial or municipal wastewater treatment to lower pathogen loads before environmental release.
• Application in dialysis-like blood cleansing devices to treat critical infections or sepsis.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Highly efficient removal (up to 99% under certain conditions) of a broad spectrum of pathogens and pathogen-derived toxins from fluids.
• Faster and more sensitive pathogen identification, reducing diagnostic time and enabling quicker, tailored therapies—for example, in sepsis.
• Broad spectrum binding peptides enable activity against different types of bacteria (Gram-positive, Gram-negative), fungi, and possibly viruses, unlike more specific (antibody-based) techniques.
• Particles are easily separated from fluids via magnetic fields, allowing practical, rapid, scalable, and automatable processes.
• Use is possible in a flow-through system (analogous to dialysis), making integration with current medical devices feasible.
• Peptides and particle design can be optimized for target specificity and binding efficiency, supporting highly customizable solutions.
• Maintains pathogen viability for detection while enabling their removal, important for downstream diagnostic workflows.
• Reduces risk of immune or toxic responses linked to pathogen toxins, potentially improving patient outcomes in clinical settings.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The application describes a method for reducing the concentration of pathogens and/or pathogen components in an aqueous or body fluid sample. Specifically, the method relates to incubating the sample with superparamagnetic iron-based particles attached to a target binding peptide and immobilising the superparamagnetic iron-based particles with a magnetic field and thereby separating the pathogen-bound and/or pathogen component-bound superparamagnetic iron-based particles from the sample. Furthermore, the application relates to a method for identifying pathogens in an aqueous or body fluid sample a use of superparamagnetic iron-based particles for reducing the concentration of pathogens and/or pathogen components in an aqueous or body fluid sample. In addition, a use of superparamagnetic iron-based particles for identifying pathogens in an aqueous or body fluid sample is disclosed. Finally, superparamagnetic ironoxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are disclosed, wherein the SPIONs are linked to a target binding peptide, wherein the target is a pathogen, and/or a pathogen component.