Characterising nanoporous carbon adsorbents for biological application to chronic kidney disease

The study characterises a range of advanced MAST carbons derived from pyrolysed porous phenolic resins for use in biological applications, considering how the porosity of the carbons impacts both the methods used to assess potential cytotoxicity and the removal of biological molecules relevant to kidney disease. The large surface area and pore volume available for adsorption make both the microporous and the mesoporous MAST carbons suitable for creatinine removal but not for removal of the small but highly water soluble urea. However, only the highly adsorbent MAST carbons with meso- and macroporosity were able to remove the high molecular weight inflammatory cytokine IL-6. It is the adsorption of the larger biological toxins, represented by IL-6 in this study and not removed by purely microporous carbons or in current haemodialysis therapy, which could most significantly contribute to the augmentation of current haemoperfusion therapy.