Description of ABO Columns

Performing transplantation across the blood group barrier is not possible unless patients are given special treatment to remove antibodies that are specific for the blood group antigens. In addition, the need for antibody-removal methods that are more efficient and more specific than the ones commonly used today is clear. For example, it has been estimated that eliminating the blood group barrier for organ transplantation would increase the number of transplants by 30 to 40 per cent. Using an extra-corporeal column to selectively remove the antibodies that cause rejection when donor and recipient have different blood groups has been shown to be possible. By eliminating several of the side effects of current treatment methods, this selective removal of anti-blood group antibodies provides substantial advantages compared to the methods commonly used today.

A and B blood group antigens are carbohydrates (sugars) that exist in many different types. The most basic structural type is a trisaccharide, while the types actually expressed on the cell surface are more complex tetrasaccharides.

AbSorber's column differs from those of its competitors through a patented method. Instead of using free trisaccharides, AbSorber uses cell lines that produce proteins known as mucins, in which tetrasaccharides can be engineered to absorb the antibodies required. Since the bonds between the antibodies and the carbohydrate are multivalent (bind in multiple places), the AbSorber product is many times more effective than those using free sugars. The company believes that its product is currently 100-times more effective than existing products on the market. Following properly-conducted clinical trials, an end-product could be available on the market within three years.