Forward osmosis zwitterionic membranes for platelet concentration – Evaluation of the feasibility of the concept

• Published in: Separation and purification technology Vol. 354; p. 129013
• Main Authors: Yeh, Chih-Chen, Venault, Antoine, Dizon, Gian Vincent, Lin, Pin-Rong, Liang, Kai-Lin, Liou, Shih-Hong, Chou, Chung-Jung, Bacchin, Patrice, Chang, Yung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 19.02.2025; Elsevier
• Subjects: antifouling; Chemical engineering; Chemical Sciences; Forward osmosis; platelet enrichment; zwitterionic coatings; zwitterionic coatings; platelet enrichment; Forward osmosis; antifouling
• ISSN: 1383-5866; 1873-3794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.129013

[Display omitted] •Pioneer in platelet concentration using forward osmosis.•Concentrated single protein and complex biological solution.•An FO membrane with PAN, PET, PA, and an antifouling zwitterionic layer was used.•The zwitterionic FO membrane exhibits antifouling properties for better separation. This study focuses on the development of forward osmosis (FO) membranes tailored for platelet and growth factor enrichment applications while maintaining minimal activation throughout the process. The FO membrane structure comprises a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) layer, fabricated using vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS), atop a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Then, a polyamide (PA) layer was formed through interfacial polymerization (IP) at the PAN layer interface. The PET side of the membrane was further enhanced with coatings of antifouling copolymers, based on poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) alone or both PEGMA and zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA). In a first step, the formation of each layer was optimized. The structure of the PAN layer was adjusted through the polymer concentration (15 wt%) and the exposure time to vapors (15 min) during the VIPS step. The PA layer was optimized by adjusting the curing temperature to 70 °C. The antifouling copolymer was selected by conducting protein adsorption tests. Subsequently, these tailored FO membranes were employed in the enrichment of plasma proteins, growth factors, and platelets from platelet-rich plasma. It is shown that the membrane modified with a copolymer made of butyl methacrylate (BMA), PEGMA and SBMA, referred to as poly(BMA-r-PEGMA-r-SBMA), enabled to reach a Human Serum Albumin concentration factor of 1.32 and a platelet concentration using PRP of 2.4. Despite partial platelet activation (12 %) due to the high cell concentration, the platelet content is much higher than in PRP or whole blood, which could benefit platelet-based therapies. In addition, the system can be applied to the concentration of growth factors, with PDGF and VEGF concentration factors of 1.92 and 2.58, respectively, which could contribute to the advancement of regenerative medicine.