Blood-safe ECMO tubing using a special coating plus a targeted clotting blocker
Combined Use of Polycarboxybetaine Coatings with a Selective FXIIa Inhibitor to Create Potent Biomaterial Anticoagulation Without Bleeding During Extracorporeal Life Support
['FUNDING_R01'] · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · NIH-11091479
A special surface coating plus a targeted clotting blocker aims to stop blood clots in ECMO machines without causing dangerous bleeding for people on life support with severe lung failure.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11091479 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
This project is developing a two-part approach to make ECMO safer for patients like you. Researchers are coating ECMO tubing with a zwitterionic polycarboxybetaine (PCB) layer to prevent proteins and platelets from sticking, and combining that coating with a drug that selectively blocks activated factor XII (FXIIa) to prevent device-driven clotting. Early lab tests and sheep ECMO experiments show much less clotting on the circuit while preserving normal tissue clotting, which could reduce bleeding complications. The team plans additional preclinical work to move this toward clinical testing at hospital ECMO centers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults with severe respiratory failure or ARDS who require ECMO support.
Not a fit: People who do not need ECMO or whose bleeding/clotting problems are unrelated to device surface activation may not directly benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce both dangerous circuit clots and bleeding complications for people on ECMO, improving survival and recovery chances.
How similar studies have performed: Similar surface-coating strategies and FXII/FXIIa-targeting approaches have shown promise in laboratory and animal ECMO models but are still early-stage and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: COOK, KEITH E — CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: COOK, KEITH E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome