Cross-shaped nanoporous poly(methyl methacrylate) fibers for selective adsorption of β₂-microglobulin and other middle-molecular-weight proteins.

This article focuses on the development and evaluation of stereocomplex poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) adsorbent fibers designed for selective removal of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), a pathogenic protein responsible for dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA) in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing long-term dialysis. The study demonstrates that cross-shaped PMMA fibers with optimized nanopore diameters of 12–15 nm enhance β2-MG adsorption by increasing blood-contact surface area while maintaining low pressure loss during hemoperfusion, compared to conventional bead-shaped adsorbents. A thin dense surface layer on the fibers selectively limits adsorption of larger proteins like albumin, allowing efficient diffusion of β2-MG and other middle-molecular-weight proteins such as IL-6 and TNF-α. These findings suggest potential applications of the fibers in extracorporeal blood purification therapies targeting uremic toxins, though further in vitro and in vivo validation is needed to confirm clinical utility.