(379f) Dietary Fiber-Inspired Hydrogels for Removal of Uremic Toxins

The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in disease and treatment outcomes for patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD). Specifically, bacteria-derived uremic toxins add additional stress to the kidney and must be cleared from the blood via dialysis. However, despite the strides made in dialysis treatment, patient quality of life continues to suffer, and the mortality rates remain high. In this work, we explore a patient-friendly, conservative approach to the removal of uremic toxins. We utilize bioinspired material design to remove bacteria-derived uremic toxins at their source – the GI tract. Dietary fiber was used as inspiration to fabricate edible, fibrous polymer nanocomposites with varied geometries and porosity. The nanocomposites were exposed to a simulated GI tract with clinical concentrations of uremic toxins and evaluated for their ability to resist degradation and remove uremic toxins. We connect geometry, porosity, and composite mechanics to the ability to function as a sorbent for uremic toxins and demonstrate the potential for these bioinspired composite materials to be utilized for conservative management of ESKD.