Staged platform for optimizing xenogeneic liver transplantation
This technology is a staged pre-clinical surgical platform utilizing extracorporeal circulation followed by auxiliary orthotopic transplantation in non-human primates to systematically optimize coagulation, immunosuppression, and physiologic compatibility for porcine-to-human liver xenotransplantation.
Unmet Need: Safe and effective xenogeneic liver transplantation to address organ shortage
Liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, acute liver failure, and select hepatic malignancies, yet a critical organ shortage results in thousands of deaths each year. Xenogeneic transplantation using genetically engineered porcine livers offers a promising solution, but progress has been severely limited by early postoperative coagulopathy, thrombocytopenic microangiopathy, and immunologic incompatibilities. These barriers have prevented survival in pre-clinical models and hinder clinical translation. Addressing these barriers are essential to advancing the field toward clinical trials and ultimately offering a life-saving alternative for patients who currently have no viable treatment options.
The Technology: Staged xenotransplantation platform to accelerate clinical translation
This technology addresses the central barrier in xenogeneic liver transplantation, which is early coagulation collapse, through a deliberately sequenced, two-phase pre-clinical model. In the first phase, an extracorporeal circulation system connects a genetically engineered porcine liver to a non-human primate recipient, enabling controlled, isolated characterization of interspecies physiologic, immunologic, and coagulation interactions during the critical first 24 hours without the compounding variables of a full survival transplant. This phase allows iterative refinement of immunosuppression and coagulation management protocols in a reproducible, resource-efficient setting. Once optimized, the platform advances to the second phase, which is auxiliary orthotopic xenogeneic liver transplantation in non-human primates, where the porcine graft is transplanted in an anatomically physiologic position alongside the native liver, preserving hemodynamic stability while enabling longitudinal assessment of graft function and immunologic response over time.
Applications:
- Optimization of coagulation management strategies
- Development of immunosuppression protocols
- Evaluation of xenograft liver function support
- Preclinical preparation for regulatory submission and clinical trials
- Development of next-generation liver transplant strategies
- Research platform for studying xenograft liver function and physiology
Advantages:
- Enables precise mechanistic insight into early post-transplant coagulopathies
- Cost-effective
- Supports resource-effective iterative optimization
- Compatible with existing surgical procedures
- Provides a clear translational pathway to clinical application
Lead Inventor:
Tech Ventures Reference:
IR CU26284
Licensing Contact: Jerry Kokoshka