Broad-spectrum blood-borne molecules

Broad-spectrum blood-borne molecules is a collective term used to describe a wide range of circulating substances, including cytokines, chemokines, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), that mediate systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction [2, 3]. This term does not refer to a single biological target but rather to the heterogeneous pool of mediators found in the blood during conditions like sepsis, septic shock, and cytokine storms [11, 13]. These molecules are primarily targeted by extracorporeal blood purification technologies, such as hemoadsorption devices like CytoSorb or the Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity Blood Filter, which aim to reduce the 'cytokine storm' and restore immune balance by non-selectively removing these factors from the circulation [2, 5]. Because it encompasses thousands of distinct proteins and toxins with diverse and often opposing biological roles, it is considered a broad therapeutic category rather than a specific molecular target [3, 6]. Consequently, therapeutic interventions targeting this 'broad spectrum' face challenges related to the non-specific removal of beneficial molecules, such as albumin and administered antibiotics [6, 10]. The use of engineered proteins like FcMBL (Mannose Binding Lectin) also represents a broad-spectrum approach to capture pathogens and their released toxins directly from the blood [4, 7].

Other names

Blood-borne mediatorsCirculating inflammatory mediatorsPathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)Sepsis-related moleculesCirculating toxins

Extracorporeal hemoadsorption, filtration, or affinity-based capture for the non-selective removal of circulating inflammatory mediators, pathogens, and toxins from the blood.