H2Stem Cell Selection for Liver Transplantation Efficacy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for liver diseases, such as orthotopic liver transplantation and liver cell transplantation, are invasive, irreversible, and limited by donor graft shortages, with liver cell transplantation showing only short-to-medium term efficacy due to quality issues and variability in cell characterization and transplantation models, making it difficult to determine the best liver progenitor cells for therapy.

Innovation Solution

Development of H2Stem Cells, a specific cell population with distinct morphological and functional features, including high expression of liver-specific metabolic activities and mesenchymal markers, which can be used for therapeutic applications and drug testing, characterized by markers like CYP3A4, Vimentin, CD90, and cytokeratin 19, and capable of forming three-dimensional cell clusters, allowing for improved liver-specific metabolic activities and consistent engraftment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If liver cell transplantation is performed using current methods, then short-to-medium term efficacy is achieved, but long-term engraftment and functionality are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveduration of liver cell transplantation efficacyVSAvoidconsistency of cell engraftment and functionality
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the characterization parameters of liver cells by establishing a standardized panel of markers (hepatic, progenitor, and quality markers) to identify and select cells with optimal engraftment potential. This parameter-based selection ensures consistent long-term functionality and reliability of transplanted cells, resolving the contradiction between duration of efficacy and reliability of engraftment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary characterization and selection of liver cells before transplantation using defined marker panels to identify cells with high engraftment potential. This preliminary action ensures that only cells meeting specific criteria are transplanted, thereby guaranteeing both long-term duration of efficacy and consistent reliability of engraftment outcomes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If orthotopic liver transplantation is performed, then liver function replacement is achieved, but the procedure is highly intrusive and irreversible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffectiveness of liver function replacementVSAvoidcomplexity and invasiveness of transplantation procedure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates specific liver cell populations with defined marker profiles that can be transplanted as minimally invasive cell therapies rather than performing full orthotopic liver transplantation. This extraction of functional liver cells allows effective liver function replacement while avoiding the high complexity and irreversibility of surgical transplantation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses standardized cell characterization markers and selection protocols as intermediaries to identify and prepare optimal liver cell candidates for transplantation. This intermediary process enables precise cell selection and preparation, reducing the complexity of the overall transplantation procedure while maintaining reliability of liver function replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Duration of action of moving object

If liver progenitor cells are used for therapy, then potential for long-term efficacy is improved, but variability in cell characterization methods makes it difficult to determine the best cells for therapy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelong-term efficacy of liver progenitor cell therapyVSAvoidconsistency of cell characterization and selection
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes a universal, multi-functional marker panel that serves multiple purposes: identifying hepatic differentiation, detecting progenitor cell status, and assessing cell quality and engraftment potential. This standardized universal panel enables consistent characterization and selection of liver progenitor cells across different studies and applications, ensuring both long-term efficacy and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent defines specific parameter thresholds and marker expression levels for liver progenitor cell characterization, transforming variable qualitative assessments into standardized quantitative measurements. This parameter standardization enables precise and consistent cell selection, ensuring that only cells meeting defined criteria are used for therapy, thereby achieving both long-term efficacy and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If liver cell transplantation is performed, then treatment of liver diseases is achieved, but donor graft shortages limit availability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffectiveness of liver disease treatmentVSAvoidavailability of donor grafts
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the liver organ into isolated liver cell populations that can be individually characterized, selected, and transplanted. This segmentation allows for the preparation of cell therapies from limited donor material, maximizing the utility of each donor graft while maintaining treatment effectiveness and addressing donor shortage limitations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and isolates specific functional liver cell populations from donor tissue that can be used for transplantation therapy. This extraction process maximizes the therapeutic value of limited donor grafts by preparing concentrated cell populations with defined characteristics, thereby improving treatment effectiveness while addressing the scarcity of available donor material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3039123B1Method for producing adult liver progenitor cells
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 PROMETHERA BIOSCIENCES SA
  • EP3039123B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3039123B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3039123B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3F

AI summary

Novel adult liver progenitor cells (called H2Stem Cells) have been have been characterized on the basis of a series of biological activities and markers. Methods for producing H2Stem Cells allow providing such cells in the form of adherent cells and three-dimensional cell clusters in suspension that can be differentiated into cells having strong liver-specific activities and/or that can be used for treating liver diseases or for evaluating the efficacy, the metabolism, and/or toxicity of a compound.