Membranes for the life sciences and their future roles in medicine

Abstract

Since the global outbreak of COVID-19, membrane technology for clinical treatments, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and protective masks and clothing, has attracted intense research attention for its irreplaceable abilities. Membrane research and applications are now playing an increasingly important role in various fields of life science. In addition to intrinsic properties such as size sieving, dissolution and diffusion, membranes are often endowed with additional functions as cell scaffolds, catalysts or sensors to satisfy the specific requirements of different clinical applications. In this review, we will introduce and discuss state-of-the-art membranes and their respective functions in four typical areas of life science: artificial organs, tissue engineering, in vitro blood diagnosis and medical support. Emphasis will be given to the description of certain specific functions required of membranes in each field to provide guidance for the selection and fabrication of the membrane material. The advantages and disadvantages of these membranes have been compared to indicate further development directions for different clinical applications. Finally, we propose challenges and outlooks for future development.

Keywords: Artificial organ; In vitro blood diagnosis; Life science; Medical support; Membrane; Tissue engineering.

Fig. 1

Schematic of the four aspects of membrane applications in life science.

Fig. 2

(a) Diagram of the membrane separation mechanism and biocompatible modification strategies of (b) polypropylene (PP) hollow fiber membrane with amphiphilic phospholipid polymer coating and (c) polymethyl pentene (PMP) hollow fiber membranes by grafting 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) or heparin. Reproduced from Refs. , and with permission from Elsevier, respectively.

Fig. 3

(a) Diagram of the operation mode of artificial kidney and (b) the preparation of membranes with improved biocompatibility. Reproduced from Ref. and with permission from Elsevier.

Fig. 4

(a)The schematic of the three major components and (b-d) membrane involved in periodontal tissue engineering. Reproduced from Ref. , , with permission from Elsevier and Wiley Materials, respectively.

Fig. 5

(a) Schematic illustration of the four stages of skin reconstruction and (b) the fabrication process for multi-functional membrane. Reproduced from Ref. with permission from Elsevier.

Fig. 6

(a) Diagram of the corneal tissue engineering, (b) the ultra-thin amniotic membranes in moist and dry environment and (c) the corneal tissue engineering model. Reproduced from Ref. , , and with permission from Wiley and Elsevier, respectively.

Fig. 7

(a) Diagram of the Jenus membrane used for the pretreatment of blood test, (b) the multifunctional separation-sensing membrane and (c) the enrichment of CTC. Reproduced from Ref. , , with permission from Elsevier and Wiley Materials, respectively.

Fig. 8

(a) Illustration of the structure and the protective mechanism of facial mask and (b) the property of the new multifunctional membrane. Reproduced from Ref. , with permission from Wiley.