{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T03:04:53Z","timestamp":1770692693774,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,13]],"date-time":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718236800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Union","award":["ECS00000022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ECS00000022"]}]},{"name":"European Union","award":["CUP B63C22000620005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP B63C22000620005"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and its low-molecular-weight fragments (LMWH) are widely used as anticoagulants for surgical procedures and extracorporeal blood purification therapies such as cardiovascular surgery and dialysis. The anticoagulant effect of heparin is essential for the optimal execution of extracorporeal blood circulation. However, at the end of these procedures, to avoid the risk of bleeding, it is necessary to neutralize it. Currently, the only antidote for heparin neutralization is protamine sulphate, a highly basic protein which constitutes a further source of serious side events and is ineffective in neutralizing LMWH. Furthermore, dialysis patients, due to the routine administration of heparin, often experience serious adverse effects, among which HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia) is one of the most severe. For this reason, the finding of new heparin antagonists or alternative methods for heparin removal from blood is of great interest. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a set of biocompatible macroporous cryogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) and L-lysine with strong filtering capability and remarkable neutralization performance with regard to UFH and LMWH. These properties could enable the design and creation of a filtering device to rapidly reverse heparin, protecting patients from the harmful consequences of the anticoagulant.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25126503","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,14]],"date-time":"2024-06-14T03:52:53Z","timestamp":1718337173000},"page":"6503","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["HEMA-Lysine-Based Cryogels for Highly Selective Heparin Neutralization"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6157-7442","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tommaso","family":"Mecca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CNR-Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3971-0315","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabiola","family":"Spitaleri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MEDIVIS, Via Carnazza 34C, 95030 Tremestieri Etneo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"La Spina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission (EC), 2440 Geel, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7150-9523","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabrina","family":"Gioria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission (EC), 2440 Geel, Belgium"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Giglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNR-Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6766-8174","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Cunsolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNR-Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1122","DOI":"10.1097\/00000542-199910000-00031","article-title":"Anticoagulation Monitoring during Cardiac Surgery: A Review of Current and Emerging Techniques","volume":"91","author":"Despotis","year":"1999","journal-title":"Anesthesiology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1093\/ckj\/sft139","article-title":"Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopaenia (HIT)-an Overview: What Does the Nephrologist Need to Know and Do?","volume":"6","author":"Dutt","year":"2013","journal-title":"Clin. 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