New multifunctional polymeric materials for the treatment of chronic uremia

The preparation and characterization of polymeric materials attained by synthetic or semisynthetic procedures is reported. These include radical copolymerization of acryloyl and methacryloyl monomers and modification of oligo- and polysaccharides. All the polymeric materials are characterized by hydrogel-like properties which are tunable by pH; the maximum swelling occurred under alkaline conditions. This behavior, combined with their capability to take up urea, ammonia and sodium and potassium ions, makes them good candidates for the removal of uremic toxins from patients affected by chronic uremia. The results of the in vitro evaluation of the efficacy of these materials to interact with the reported metabolites, including water, were analyzed in view of predicting their in vivo responses.