The accumulation of proteins like Beta-Amyloid and redox-active metals is central to progression of myriad neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's dementia. And yet, the tools to remove these critical factors remain limited. Despite recent advancements, chelation therapy (the use of drugs which bind to biologically active metals) remains slow, poorly specific, and limited by the challenge of keeping bound molecules attached. Amyloid-targeting antibody therapy clears some amyloid but offers only modest clinical benefit while carrying serious risks such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. Both approaches have some clear benefits, but both are also held back by the conceptual limitations of their therapeutic mechanisms. Here, we propose a novel treatment platform which leverages the target molecules' reductive potential, rather than relying on drugs or biologics.

Our platform — Bioelectrodeposition (BED) — uses a dialysis-like system to remove a biofluid (like cerebrospinal fluid or blood) from the patient, filter it outside the body, then return it with target molecules electrochemically removed. The filter is a multi-pass microfluidic electrochemical cell: a rectangular prism with rounded corners made from medical-grade, electrochemically inert polymer. Target biofluid flows down the filter's length. The top and bottom faces are the anode and cathode, so an electric current runs perpendicular to the fluid flow. Under potentiostatic control, the electrode holds a voltage potential that reduces only specific molecules from solution. This level of control will also prevent voltage ranges known to cause dangerous side reactions. Then, by pulsing current, we will create an environment which forms strong bonds with target molecules, while sparing less readily reducible essential metals or proteins.

And so, BED has an advantage because it uses the target's affinity for reduction as the filtration criterion. Unlike chelators and antibodies, it is drug-free and biologics-free, consumes no binding agent, and acts far faster than systemic therapies. Capture is durable — bound species remain when the current stops — directly solving the retention limit of chelation. And because the mechanism is charge-based, the same platform extends beyond metals to charged peptides such as amyloid-beta, captured electrokinetically at the electrode.

BED is built for manufacturability. We plan on manufacturing the filter cartridges from ultra-precise 3d-printed medical-grade polymer. The proposed electrodes use established biocompatible conductor materials. The whole system can be used with conventional dialysis tubing and existing platforms and sterilized by conventional means. This project is currently in the in-vitro testing phase of development.

BED addresses a rapidly growing population of people at risk for Alzheimer's dementia. However, it also has clear potential for metal-related pathologies, like Wilson's disease, pathogenic metal exposure (like lead and arsenic), or as a supplement for the previously described treatments. Because selectivity is reprogrammed simply by changing the applied potential, one hardware platform can serve an expanding menu of targets across neurology, nephrology, and toxicology, turning a single device into a broad therapeutic platform.