Urinary Ephrin-B1 Marker for Early Nephrotic Syndrome Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current diagnostic methods for nephrotic syndrome lack effective markers for early detection and progression monitoring, particularly focusing on the role of Ephrin-B1 in urine samples, which is crucial for timely intervention and reducing medical costs associated with kidney failure.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing Ephrin-B1 as a marker in urine samples for diagnosing nephrotic syndrome through methods like Western blotting, ELISA, and RT-PCR to measure its expression levels, enabling early detection and monitoring of disease progression.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional diagnostic methods are used for nephrotic syndrome, then diagnosis can be performed, but early detection and progression monitoring are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection sensitivityVSAvoiddiagnosis timing
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by detecting Ephrin-B1 expression changes before clinical nephrotic syndrome symptoms fully manifest. The method identifies early molecular markers (Ephrin-B1 downregulation) in urine samples during the pathogenesis period immediately before proteinuria onset, enabling early intervention before the disease progresses to require dialysis therapy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical/physical diagnostic methods with molecular biology techniques. Instead of relying on traditional urine protein quantification alone, the invention uses RT-PCR to detect Ephrin-B1 mRNA expression levels, substituting molecular-level detection for conventional clinical chemistry approaches

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If kidney failure treatment is provided, then patient survival is maintained, but medical costs become extremely high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient survivalVSAvoidmedical cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables preliminary intervention by detecting Ephrin-B1 expression changes before kidney failure occurs. By identifying patients at risk during the early pathogenesis period and implementing preventive treatments to suppress proteinuria, the system avoids the need for expensive dialysis therapy while maintaining patient survival

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes a feedback mechanism for monitoring disease progression. By regularly measuring Ephrin-B1 expression levels in urine samples, clinicians can assess whether proteinuria suppression therapy is effective and adjust treatment accordingly, preventing progression to kidney failure and avoiding costly end-stage interventions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If proteinuria suppression therapy is developed, then kidney disease progression is prevented, but diagnostic markers are needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisease progression preventionVSAvoiddiagnostic system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the specific molecular marker (Ephrin-B1) from the complex system of kidney disease pathogenesis. By focusing on this single key molecule whose expression changes precede proteinuria onset, the invention simplifies the diagnostic approach while maintaining high reliability for predicting disease progression and monitoring therapy response

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4261540B1Marker for assisting in diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome and use thereof
Publication Date: 2025.12.17 NIIGATA UNIVERSITY
  • EP4261540B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4261540B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The present invention provides use of an Ephrin-B as a marker for assisting in the diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, a method for examining nephrotic syndrome comprising measuring the expression level of an Ephrin-B in the urine of a subject, and a diagnostic reagent for nephrotic syndrome comprising a substance that specifically binds to an Ephrin-B.