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mTOR reactivation to treat acute kidney injury

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This technology is a method to target impaired mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling and endocytosis to rescue kidney function following acute kidney injury.

Unmet Need: Therapeutic method to treat acute kidney injury by targeting impaired signaling pathways

Current methods to treat acute kidney injury primarily target symptoms via supportive care such as dialysis, medications like diuretics, and fluid replacement. Furthermore, there are no pharmacological therapies to treat acute kidney injury and there is a high incidence and mortality rate for patients in intensive care units. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of impaired kidney function can indicate relevant therapeutic targets and further differentiate different types of acute kidney injury.

The Technology: Restoration of kidney function via amino acid replacement

This technology describes the use of branched chain amino acids to target dysfunctional mTOR signaling and endocytosis to restore kidney function. Defective mTOR signaling can result in impaired endocytosis in the kidney, mediated by the lysosomal efflux transporter spns1. Infusions of branched chain amino acids can restore mTOR signaling and rescue the kidney from ischemic acute kidney injury. By targeting the molecular mechanisms of acute kidney injury, this technology can help restore kidney function following ischemic injury, inform patient treatment decisions, and further inform pharmacological development in the treatment of acute kidney injury.

Applications:

  • Treatment of acute kidney injury
  • Research model for studying mTOR signaling and kidney function
  • Research tool to identify different types of acute kidney injury
  • Identification of therapeutic targets for acute kidney injury
  • Potential treatment for lysosomal storage disorders involving spns1

Advantages:

  • Disease modifying treatment for acute kidney injury
  • Can restore kidney function in ischemic stage
  • Compatible with current methods used for supportive care
  • Potential to develop pharmacological agents to target mTOR

Lead Inventor:

Jonathan Barasch, MD

Patent Information:

Patent Status

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