Michael Plishka
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We often think of lead poisoning as being a thing of the past. Not only is it still a problem in the United States, it is still a major problem worldwide for humans (and pets!) Lead has also not been easy to remove from the body—until now. Researchers from Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, South Korea, have come up with an elegant way of removing lead from the body. Using magnetic nano-particles that attach to lead, they are able to inject this substance into the body, after which they use a modified dialysis machine and magnet to pull the lead from the blood. This technology may be able to be adapted to pull other toxins from the body as well.  The magnetic approach could presumably help remove all sorts of unwanted flotsam from the blood. Attach a different receptor to the nanoparticles and you might have a cheap way to remove excess cholesterol, for example.
(newscientist)References: newscientist Filed In: |
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