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Design of antithrombogenic polymers based on their interactions with water and commercialization of artificial kidneys

Polymer Journal volume 58, pages 117–125 (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

An artificial kidney is a medical device used in dialysis treatment for patients with renal failure. Owing to its prolonged contact with blood, artificial kidneys must have excellent antithrombogenic properties. An artificial kidney contains approximately 10,000 porous hollow fiber membranes, which remove water and uremic toxins from the blood through the principles of dialysis and filtration. It is well known that hollow fiber membranes made from polysulfone-based polymers (PSf) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) have high removal performance, accounting for 90% of the global market share. PVP, a hydrophilic polymer, contributes to the expression of antithrombogenic properties. However, complications due to insufficient antithrombogenic properties remain a challenge, and there has been strong demand for further improvements in antithrombogenic properties. We succeeded in commercializing PSf membrane artificial kidneys containing antithrombogenic polymers other than PVP for the first time by focusing on the mobility of adsorbed water. Furthermore, advanced analysis made it possible to design antithrombogenic polymers driven by computational science. This review discusses the design of antithrombogenic polymers based on the mobility of water and the commercialization of antithrombogenic artificial kidneys.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all those who collaborated and supported this research and its commercialization, as well as all medical professionals and patients using the resulting antithrombogenic artificial kidneys.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Materials Research Laboratories, Toray Industries Inc., Shiga, Japan

    Yoshiyuki Ueno, Masaki Fujita & Hiroyuki Sugaya

  2. Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, Toray Industries Inc., Kanagawa, Japan

    Takeshi Baba

  3. 1st Materials Science Laboratory, Toray Research Center Inc., Shiga, Japan

    Masaru Nakada

Authors
  1. Yoshiyuki Ueno
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  2. Masaki Fujita
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  3. Hiroyuki Sugaya
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  4. Takeshi Baba
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  5. Masaru Nakada
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Correspondence to Yoshiyuki Ueno.

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Ueno, Y., Fujita, M., Sugaya, H. et al. Design of antithrombogenic polymers based on their interactions with water and commercialization of artificial kidneys. Polym J 58, 117–125 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-025-01045-5

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