Columbia Technology Ventures

Sphinganine-1-phosphate for the diagnosis and treatment of liver and kidney injury

Damage or surgeries to the liver frequently result in secondary renal injury, which can lead to kidney failure. Unfortunately, detecting such injuries when they occur is challenging using current techniques. While there are several biomarkers that indicate renal or hepatic damage, these are often only detectable after an extended period of time, limiting the ability of physicians to react rapidly. This technology describes sphinganine-1-phosphate (S1P), a naturally occurring sphingolipid, or blood-borne lipid mediator, as a rapidly detectable biomarker for liver and kidney injury and a potential therapeutic agent. Levels of this substance in the blood have been shown to rapidly decrease following organ injury, acting as both a marker of injury and prognostic tool for patient outcomes. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that administration of S1P following organ injury can rescue function in animal models. This sphingolipid is highly versatile and can be employed in several different assays, including plasma or urine tests as a marker of renal injury after liver complication. Acting as a predictor of mortality following organ injury, S1P can be quickly administered to at-risk patients to rescue renal and liver function following organ or reperfusion injury. Together, this technology has the ability to both diagnose and treat liver and kidney damage.

Sphinganine-1-phosphate rapidly detects organ injury, rescues kidney and liver function

This technology acts as both diagnostic tool and potential therapy, combining two crucial stages of clinical drug development into one. Unlike conventional biomarkers that can take several hours to appear following organ injury, S1P levels can drop significantly in as little as three hours, allowing for rapid diagnosis. Additionally, this drop is an accurate predictor of patient outcomes and mortality, making S1P a reliable health indicator. Demonstrating its excellent efficacy, S1P has been shown to rescue both liver and renal function after liver-induced renal injury. As S1P is endogenous and easy to isolate, side-effects are expected to be minimal compared to synthetic compounds. Having the potential to have both diagnostic and clinical significance, S1P treatment is incredibly versatile and cost-effective. Due to its low toxicity, this technology could have wide applications in the clinic, being used whenever reperfusion injuries such as stroke, ischemia, or coronary bypass are anticipated.

A prototype of this technology has been favorably evaluated in animal and human studies as a biomarker and has been shown to act as a therapeutic/protective agent in animal trials.

Lead Inventor:

H. Thomas Lee M.D., Ph.D.

Applications:

  • Plasma and urine marker of renal injury after liver injury
  • Predictor of mortality following organ injury
  • Rescue of kidney and liver function following acute hepatic liver injury
  • Preventative treatment for reperfusion injury when likely
  • Research tool to understand the pathogenesis of reperfusion and ischemic organ injury

Advantages:

  • Offers rapid indication of injury compared to the relatively delayed detection of existing markers
  • Can be used as both a marker and treatment for multi-organ injury/failure
  • Endogenous molecule is naturally occurring, making isolation and production simple
  • May reverse injuries due to organ ischemia or reperfusion
  • Offers prognostic information about patient mortality following multi-organ injuries

Patent Information:

Patent Pending (WO/2010/077741A1)

Tech Ventures Reference: IR 2492

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