Lung regeneration method for treatment of lung diseases

This technology is a method for selective de-epithelialization of lung tissue to treat lung diseases or improve donor lung tissue health for transplant applications.

Unmet Need: Model for studying cellular regeneration in lungs

The current approach to studying lung regeneration and treating lung disease relies heavily on bioengineered lungs, which often fail due to incomplete regeneration of the vasculature and challenges in isolating and expanding relevant cells from human lungs. Most prominently, fully decellularized lungs face the impracticality of complete recellularization on a clinical scale. The need to overcome these limitations is crucial for accelerating progress in the understanding and treatment of respiratory disorders.

The Technology: Selective regenerative lung treatment applicable for many diseases and injuries

This technology is a method that leverages selective de-epithelialization of cells followed by subsequent engraftment of human-derived pluripotent stem cells onto the de-epithelialized lung tissue. Importantly, this method leaves other critical cellular components intact, such as lung microvasculature. Selective de-epithelialization can be targeted to specific portions of the lung and be done in vivo or ex vivo, highlighting a targeted precision approach for the treatment of lung and other respiratory diseases. This approach addresses the limitations of traditional bioengineered lungs, offering a more practical research model for studying human lung regeneration mechanisms and a more effective clinical method for the treatment of lung disease.

This technology has been validated in a rat model.

Applications:

• Diagnostic for lung diseases
• Lung disease modeling
• Research tool for studying mechanisms of lung repair
• Precision medicine treatment for lung disease and respiratory conditions
• Method to improve lung condition for transplant applications
• Ex vivo or in vivo lung repair

Advantages:

• Selective de-epithelialization preserves lung structure, improving regeneration accuracy
• Targeted engraftment avoids challenges of complete recellularization
• Preserves lung microvasculature, among other cellular components
• Validates key human lung regeneration aspects
• Prototyped optimization ensures reproducibility
• Treatment can be targeted to specific portions of the lung

Lead Inventor:

Nicolino Valerio Dorrello, M.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending (WO/2024/112691)

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU23015, CU24049

• Licensing Contact: Beth Kauderer