Regenerated carboxymethyl cellulose beads for selective removal of low-density lipoprotein from whole blood

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) plays a crucial role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Lowering the level of LDL is an effective therapeutic strategy for treating cardiovascular disease. Here, we developed a facile and robust method to prepare carboxymethyl cellulose beads (CMCBs) for selectively adsorbing LDL. CMCBs had plentiful carboxyl groups and large numbers of nanopores on their surface. The in vitro assay reveals that CMCBs had a high LDL adsorbing capability of 7.67 ± 0.16 mg/g, owing to the carboxyl group-induced electrostatic adsorption and the nanopore-mediated trapping effect. CMCBs also possessed the excellent mechanical strength to resist the impact of rushing blood. Moreover, CMCBs were highly blood-compatible and had anticoagulant activity. The in vivo experiment reveals that LDL were significantly reduced from 15.02 ± 1.62 to 9.35 ± 1.71 mmol/L after blood perfusion using CMCBs, while minimal side effects were detected for the blood routine parameters. The study provides an easy-to-fabricate adsorbent for selective and efficient clearance of LDL in hemoperfusion.