Observation
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Nephrol. Aug 6, 2012; 1(4): 100-105
Published online Aug 6, 2012. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v1.i4.100
Vitamin E-derived copolymers continue the challenge to hemodialysis biomaterials
Francesco Galli
Francesco Galli, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Applied Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy
Author contributions: Galli F solely contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Francesco Galli, PhD, Aggregate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Applied Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy. f.galli@unipg.it
Telephone: +39-75-5857445 Fax: +39-75-5857445
Received: February 21, 2012
Revised: July 23, 2012
Accepted: July 29, 2012
Published online: August 6, 2012
Abstract

Improving material biocompatibility has been a continuous effort and remains a major goal of dialysis therapy. In this respect, vitamin E-modified copolymers have been used to produce a generation of biomaterials that has offered new clinical challenges and the chance of further improving the quality of synthetic hemodialyser membranes. This mini review article describes the evolution of these copolymers that only recently have been adopted to develop new vitamin E-modified polysulfone hemodialysers. Biomaterial characteristics and clinical aspects of these membranes are discussed, starting from the most recent contributions that have appeared in the literature that are of interest for the community of nephrology and dialysis specialists, as well as biomaterial scientists.

Keywords: Vitamin E, -tocopherol, Copolymer, Biocompatibility, Antioxidant, Hemodialysis, Hemodialyser membranes