ActiveEndoTest – Development of a new active system designed for the removal of endotoxins from human body fluids with the aim of a rapid test

On average, 150 people die of sepsis every day in Germany! Furthermore, it is the most frequent cause in non-cardiological intensive care units. Endotoxins, which are located mainly in gram-negative, but also in gram-positive bacteria, act as triggers. If bacteria die, the membrane will degrade enzymatically and therefore the negatively charged endotoxins are released. Concentrations lower than 4 ng endotoxin/kg bodyweight already induce a strong immune response.
Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to determine endotoxin concentration promptly, to guarantee a targeted therapy. Not only the reliable detection of endotoxins in blood, but also in other fluids like infusions or vaccines or implants, which even remain in the body, are of interest.
FDA-approved test systems are based on animal components (blood of the horseshoe crab) or even animal experiments (rabbit pyrogen test) are performed. Another disadvantage is, that the experiments can take hours up to several days.
The assays are carried out in sanitary- or microbiology laboratories. There is, however, a great demand for creating a point-of-care system “from bench to bedside”.

AET schematics — Fig. 1: Possible workflow of a new active system designed for removing endotoxins from human body fluids with the aim of a rapid test. Analysis either qualitative by using a color scale or quantitative with a photometer (AuNP = gold nanoparticle).

The objective is to develop a single-use system, which binds and accumulates endotoxins, usually occurring in small quantities, on a metalized high-performance membrane in an active way (sub-project of i3 Membrane GmbH). After re-dissolving the molecules are available for a gold nanoparticle-based rapid test taking place in the same module (sub-project of TU Dresden, Chair of Bioprocess Engineering).