Chemistry against COVID: MediSieve tackling ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ virus inside and out
Over ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ past few weeks, COVID-19 has presented us with a common, formidable enemy, with some companies fundamentally changing ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØir operations to help ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ fight.
This includes MediSieve, a London-based company, which has set out a vision to build a system capable of detecting a range of diseases.
Since its inception in 2015, MediSieve’s team of twelve – a mix of scientists, researchers, engineers and legal experts – has been developing a revolutionary filtration system similar to that of a dialysis machine to target and remove blood-borne pathogens such as harmful cells, bacteria, toxins and inflammatory cytokines. Using magnets, ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ system is able to specifically extract unwanted disease from ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ body by binding to ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ pathogen.
While ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØre are numerous potential applications, MediSieve’s initial focus is on sepsis, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and malaria.
Recognising similarities between ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ findings of recent studies into patients with ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ most serious cases of coronavirus and MediSieve’s existing research into sepsis, Chief Technology Officer Dr Cristina Blanco-Andujar has pivoted ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ team’s activity towards researching how ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ system can be used to help medical professionals treat patients more effectively.
Explaining ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ decision, Dr Blanco-Andujar said: “We were reading studies that said patients with ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ most serious forms of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ virus and those that had sadly died had high levels of IL-6, a common inflammatory cytokine, which we’ve encountered in ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ past in our research into treating sepsis.
“Finding a way to effectively and rapidly target and remove this pathogen could be extremely beneficial in treatment. Current recommendations are eiÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØr immunoblockers or suppressants but ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ problem with this is that ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØy stay in ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ bloodstream, meaning ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ patient is immunosuppressed while ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØy’re trying to fight an infection – which isn’t ideal.
“Using ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ technology developed by MediSieve means that treatment is tuned for a certain amount of time and ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØn stops without having a lasting effect on ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ patient. It’s an exciting development and we’re actively exploring and accelerating our research so we can progress to clinical trials.”
To support ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ rapid acceleration of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ technology, MediSieve has applied for funding schemes to progress ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ vital research and development required to bring ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ technology to ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ testing stage and in, in ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ not too distant future, a reality.
And in addition to switching ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ focus of ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ organisation’s research, Dr Blanco-Andujar and ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ team have been helping support local hospitals by donating excess PPE and using ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØir 3D printers to provide NHS staff with 250 ear guards to ease ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ pressure of masks.
Dr Blanco-Andujar, who holds a degree in chemistry and a PhD from University College London, has been left hugely proud by ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ team’s flexibility and willingness to embrace new ways of working brought on by ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ pandemic, including home working and communication.
“I think we’re just realising that as a small business, we have ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ potential to contribute to society and help people who are fighting against – and who are suffering with – ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ virus.
“Certain things always seem impossible until you try, and in ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØse extremely challenging times we’re seeing real innovation fuelled by ÀÖÌìÌÃappÏÂÔØ desire to make a difference.”