Core Benefits
- VESC based therapy will be able to offer long-lasting benefit for patients.
- VESC based therapy will be applicable for many diseases, not only ischemic disease but also metabolic disease, other vascular diseases.
Technology
VESCs possess both self-renewal potential and various vessel formation capacity.
Researchers newly discovered a VESC and they identified CD157 and CD200 as markers of VESCs. CD200+CD157+VESCs differentiate into CD157–CD200–endothelial cell (ECs) through CD157–CD200+ECs. CD157–CD200+ECs also possess vessel formation capacity, but CD157–CD200–ECs were completely unable to contribute to new blood vessels. Therefore, VESCs maintain the vasculature by supplying terminally differentiating ECs.
Background
Vascular ECs that line the inner surface of blood vessels are essential for maintenance of organ homeostasis and tissue regeneration. In 1997, the concept that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) participate in postnatal angiogenesis or vascular repair was proposed. EPCs based therapy have expected as a novel therapeutic therapy for various diseases. However, it is known that the effect of EPCs in endothelial repair and angiogenesis is transient. Some reports suggest that the contribution of EPCs to the neovascular ECs itself is not sufficient (Gothert et al, 2004; Peters et al, 2005).
Data
- By transplanting single VESC into normal mice, functional donor derived blood vessels consisting of portal veins, sinusoids, and hepatic venules are generated.
- VESCs maintain large vessels and sinusoids in the normal mice liver for more than a year.
- VESC collected from healthy mice are injected into mice with hemophilia A, the cells began generating new liver blood vessels and the level of FVIII in the blood shot up, from less than 1% of normal to over 60%.
Researcher
Prof. Nobuyuki Takakura (Osaka University)
Patent status
PCT application (unpublished)
Publications
Cell Stem Cell. 2018 Mar 1;22(3):384-397.e6.
Circ J. 2018 Dec 25;83(1):12-17.
Expectations
We are looking for a company interested in commercial development of the therapeutics. Details can be disclosed under CDA. Patent licensing are available.
Product No: CD-02377