Columbia Technology Ventures

Probiotic scaffolds for COPD prevention and treatment

This technology is a mesh scaffold capable of growing probiotic strains against respiratory pathogens that can be used for the prevention and treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Unmet Need: Treatment addressing COPD progression

COPD is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease characterized by obstructed airflow. Current treatments for COPD include bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, which provide only symptomatic relief and do not address underlying disease progression markers such as chronic tissue inflammation, fibrosis, and respiratory infections. As such, there exists a need for a treatment to slow down or halt the progression of COPD, rather than alleviating symptoms.

The Technology: Probiotic scaffolds for prevention and treatment of COPD disease progression

This technology is a scaffold matrix capable of carrying probiotic strains which are active against respiratory pathogens. The bacteria are isolated from tablets, seeded onto mechanically robust electrospun scaffolds, and grown into colonies by incorporating nutrients, adjuvants, and other drugs and agents. This technology is then intended to be delivered orally, as a targeted prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases.

This technology has been validated in probiotics with an optimal culture period of 24 hours.

Applications:

  • Probiotic prevention of COPD and other respiratory diseases
  • Treatment of COPD and other respiratory infections
  • Probiotic treatment for gastrointestinal (GI) tract-related diseases
  • Probiotic delivery in GI tract
  • Drug delivery in GI tract
  • Research tool for culturing probiotics or studying microbiome

Advantages:

  • Prevent COPD
  • Addresses disease progression of COPD
  • Active against respiratory pathogens and inflammation
  • Regulates microbiome composition
  • Intraoral drug delivery and formulated for controlled release

Lead Inventor:

Helen H. Lu, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Tech Ventures Reference: