Development of Ionic-Liquid-based Devices for the Removal of Cytostatic Drugs from Urine Excreted by Cancer Patients

Abstract

Cytostatics are a common therapeutic option in the treatment of cancer and recovery of transplants. Nevertheless, these drugs are toxic, so their handling and elimination are sources of risk. With developments in cancer treatments, chemotherapy is now usually complemented and/or replaced by treatments in the home environment, where excretion of cytostatics, which occurs through urine or feces, can lead to contamination of surface water, since the excretions flows into the sewage system, reaching wastewater treatment plants that are incapable to completely remove the cytostatics from the water. Ionic Liquids (ILs) shown huge potential to remove drugs from aqueous solutions, therefore, Supported Ionic Liquids (SILs) will be used to remove cytostatic drugs. These SILs will be incorporated into a device to be used by cancer patients when urinating, avoiding preventing cytostatics from reaching the environment. The SILs synthetized demonstrated great potential, being able to remove cytostatics faster than Activated Carbon. Furthermore, the SILs were used to remove cyclophosphamide of Zebra fish maintenance water completely denying the effects of the cyclophosphamide in Zebra fish embryos.