Columbia Technology Ventures

Genetic marker for kidney allograft rejection risk assessment

This technology is a genetic marker for donor-recipient matching that could dramatically decrease risk of kidney transplant allograft rejection.

Unmet Need: Non-invasive assessment of kidney allograft rejection risk

Allograft rejection occurs when an organ transplant recipient’s immune system begins to attack the donor tissue. This can lead to many detrimental side effects and, without treatment, may lead to the loss of the transplanted organ. Kidney transplants in particular carry a high risk of rejection. Current techniques to determine and mitigate the risk of rejection involve pre-surgery blood type and tissue matching, which requires an invasive kidney biopsy.

The Technology: Non-invasive genetic screen for improved donor-recipient matching in kidney transplantation

This technology presents a genetic marker that is associated with rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Through analysis of over 6000 patients, recipient-donor mismatch of the genetic locus encoding the LIMS1 antigen was determined to carry a 63% increased risk of rejection in transplants. Comparison of this region in the patient and donor genomes could thus serve as a tool for increased donor-recipient matching prior to transplantation or to identify patients at risk of rejection who have already received transplants. Furthermore, this technology describes a serological test for anti-LIMS1 antibodies, which are associated with allograft rejection risk.

This technology has been validated in human donor-recipient pairs undergoing transplantation.

Applications:

  • Genetic screen for donor-recipient matching
  • Serological assay for detecting risk of rejection post-transplantation
  • Compatibility test for other organ transplant pre-screenings
  • Research tool to guide development of patient-specific anti-rejection treatments
  • Additional targets for filtration therapies

Advantages:

  • Non-invasive
  • Cost-effective
  • Early clinical detection of rejection events
  • Identification of individuals at genetic risk of rejection
  • Pre-emptive donor-recipient matching

Lead Inventor:

Ali Gharavi, M.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Status

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