Polydopamine-mediated EGCG-modified Polystyrene Microspheres for the Synergistic Removal of Inflammatory Cytokines TNF-α and Bilirubin in Liver Failure

Hemoperfusion has emerged as a crucial treatment for liver failure in clinics. However, the challenge remains in the incapacity to effectively and concurrently eliminate multiple harmful toxins, including inflammatory cytokines and bilirubin. This study employed molecular docking for directing the design of adsorbents. To develop a multi-target adsorbent material for liver failure, capable of absorbing both bilirubin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a functional platform was constructed. This platform employs a TiO2-modified polystyrene-based microsphere PSVT, which was designed for bilirubin adsorption, and coated with polydopamine and grafted with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) for TNF-α adsorption. The results confirm that EGCG possesses a high binding affinity for TNF-α, and the introduction of EGCG as a functional moiety markedly improves the clearance effectiveness of TNF-α. Meanwhile, PSVT served as the foundation to guarantee the effective removal of bilirubin. PSVT/P/EGCG exhibits outstanding clearance performance, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 263 ng/g for TNF-α and 23.91 mg/g for bilirubin, demonstrating its high efficiency in removing both inflammatory mediators and toxins. EGCG contributes exceptional antioxidant capabilities to PSVT/P/EGCG. The adsorbent exhibits remarkable biocompatibility and stability. The multi-target adsorbent material developed in this study has an extensive spectrum of potential applications in liver failure treatment employing an artificial liver.