PATIENT SELECTIVE APHERESIS

摘要

A system and method for the practice of apheresis employs modules in the system which can be selected for a particular patient to treat particular situations or combinations of difficulties. In one example, Gal-3 mediates a large number of body reactions, and is an effective protector of tumor microenvironments and the like, as well inflammation driver. Removal of Gal-3 may make antic-cancer treatments, like photopheresis and TNF administration more effective. Separate modules, such as one for photopheresis and one for TNF receptor removal, may be combined with a module for the reduction of Gal-3, to render the combination of treatments each more effective than if administered alone.

主权项

1. A method for treating a mammal in an ex vivo system, comprising:
withdrawing an amount of blood from said mammal and introducing it into an ex vivo treatment system, wherein said system comprises at least two modules, wherein each of said modules is intended to modify the composition of said blood extracorporally before returning said withdrawn blood to said patient; wherein at least one of said modules selectively withdraws at least ten percent of galectin-3 in said withdrawn blood by passing said blood through a module provided with a moiety which selectively binds galectin-3 selected from the group consisting of an antibody, antibody fragment, non-antibody peptides, each of which selectively binds galectin-3, a polysaccharide which selectively binds galectin-3, or a combination thereof; wherein at least one of said modules treats said withdrawn blood with photopheresis to expose white blood cells in withdrawn blood to ultraviolet irradiation to render said white blood cells more susceptible to apoptosis upon return to the body and uptake by dendritic cells; and returning said withdrawn blood, comprising said blood with reduced galectin-3 content and ultraviolet irradiated white blood cells to said patient together with remaining blood components.