Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39994179›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Ultra-low extracorporeal volume microfluidic leukapheresis is safe and effective in a rat model.

Mubasher Iqbal, Alexandra L McLennan, Anton Mukhamedshin, Mai T P Dinh, Qisheng Liu, Jacob J Junco, Arvind Mohan, Poyyapakkam R Srivaths, Karen R Rabin, Thomas P Fogarty and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Mubasher IqbalDepartment of Biomedical Engineering; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-7466-0067
Alexandra L McLennanDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1467-8010
Anton MukhamedshinDepartment of Biomedical Engineering; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-8818-218X
Mai T P DinhDepartment of Biomedical Engineering; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2876-9984
Qisheng LiuCenter for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases; Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Jacob J JuncoDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2435-7739
Arvind MohanDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Poyyapakkam R SrivathsDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0423-2250
Karen R RabinDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Thomas P FogartyDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5109-8525
Sean C GiffordHalcyon Biomedical Incorporated, Friendswood, TX, USA.
Sergey S ShevkoplyasDepartment of Biomedical Engineering; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA. sshevkop@central.uh.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8203-8365
Fong W LamDepartment of Pediatrics; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. flam@bcm.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2034-2625

Funding

Enabling pediatric leukapheresis with high-throughput microfluidic technologyR01HL151858 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · PI SHEVKOPLYAS, SERGEY S · 2020 to 2023
$1.6M
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL151858U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) HL151858
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Leukapheresis is a potentially life-saving therapy for children with symptomatic hyperleukocytosis. However, the standard centrifugation-based approach exposes pediatric patients to significant complications due to its large extracorporeal volume, high flow rates, and considerable platelet loss. Here, we tested whether performing cell separation with a high-throughput microfluidic technology could alleviate these limitations. In vitro, our microfluidic devices removed ~85% of large leukocytes and ~90% of spiked leukemic blasts from undiluted human whole blood, while minimizing platelet losses. Multiplexed devices connected in parallel allowed for faster, clinically relevant flow rates in vitro with no difference in leukocyte collection efficiency. When connected to Sprague-Dawley rats, the devices removed large leukocytes with ~80% collection efficiency, reducing the leukocyte count in recirculating blood by nearly half after a 3-hour procedure. Evaluation of plasma biomarkers and end-organ histology revealed no adverse effects compared to sham control. Overall, our study suggests that microfluidics-based leukapheresis is safe and effective at selectively removing leukocytes from circulation, with separation performance sufficiently high to ultimately enable low extracorporeal volume leukapheresis in children.

Indexed as

LeukapheresisMicrofluidicsAnimalsCell SeparationFemaleHumansLeukocyte CountLeukocytesLeukocytosisMaleRatsRats, Sprague-Dawley

Identifiers

PMID39994179
PMCPMC11850925

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.