A method invented by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers to treat and prevent chronic kidney disease has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Chronic kidney disease can result from different causes, but the final pathway involves a process called renal fibrosis. This process creates an excess of connective tissue, called extracellular matrix, in the kidney and decreases the number of functional units in the kidney that filter fluid and carry it away. Several studies have linked a protein called periostin to a wide range of diseases including cancers and asthma, and it has been identified as an indicator of the progression and regression of chronic kidney disease.

IU School of Medicine researchers have developed an agent that binds to periostin and another that inhibits the gene that expresses periostin. These agents might be developed to prevent or treat chronic kidney disease in human subjects. They disclosed their invention to the Indiana University Innovation and Commercialization Office, which protects, markets and licenses intellectual property developed at Indiana University so it can be commercialized by industry.

More information about disclosing inventions to IU ICO and how to license them for commercial applications is available online.