The problem is that the patient’s immune system sees the dialysis filter as a foreign body, creating inflammation that damages the cardiovascular system over time.
Invizius has developed H-Guard, a so-called ‘invisibility cloak’ for the filter, effectively hiding it from the immune system.
The latest investment will support Invizius as it conducts further testing, as well as preparing for the next stage, including pre-clinical trials.
Dialysis treatment
Despite improvements in dialysis therapy, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for dialysis patients.
Almost half of all dialysis patients die from cardiovascular complications, and life expectancy on dialysis is just one-third of that for the general population.
Immune response
Invizius’s H-Guard product is a powerful anti-inflammatory used during the normal priming procedure to coat the filter surface. Upon contact with the patient’s blood, it makes the surface seem less foreign to the patient’s immune system.
Unlike some other proposed solutions, H-Guard does not shut down the immune system but instead effectively ‘hides’ the device from it to prevent an immune response.
There is potential to use the technology with other devices such as heart and lung machines, stents and grafts or in organ and cell transplants.
Exciting partnership
The University signed a partnership agreement with Mercia in November 2017, which included hosting Mercia staff on campus and Mercia earmarking funding for investment in opportunities developed by the University.
Mercia made an initial investment in Invizius of £50,000 in April 2018. The latest investment consortium includes Downing Ventures, the Scottish Investment Bank and the University’s Old College Captial.