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Offices of Technology Transfer
Welcome to the web site for the Offices of Technology Transfer. We are the teams who facilitate the protection of Intellectual Property and the commercialization—or transfer—of technologies resulting from the cutting-edge research being conducted by our world-class scientists, faculty, and staff here at the University of Rochester and the University of Rochester Medical Center.
We are here to translate scientific innovation into tangible products or methods that advance knowledge and serve the public good while returning income to the inventor and to the University to support further research.
June 2009: Featured Technology
An Innovative Method to Expand Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has wide clinical applications and great therapeutic potential in the field of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Currently, approximately 25% of autologous donor transplants are pro-hibited for lack of sufficient stem cells. In addition, less than 25% of patients in need of allogeneic transplant can find a histocompatible donor. Umbilical cord blood transplantation is currently restricted to use in children due to inadequate stem cell numbers in the specimens for adult recipients. A method to increase stem cell numbers would permit cord blood to be useful for adult patients, thereby expanding the use of allogeneic transplantation. Moreover, a method of increasing stem cell numbers in vivo would also reduce the time and discomfort associated with bone marrow/peripheral stem cell harvesting and increases the pool of stem cell donors.
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(left) Evaluation of HSC frequency by flow cytometric analysis of the lin-, Scal+, c-Kit+ fraction (LSK) and (right) CFU-Cs (colony-forming units), in vehicle vs drug treated mice (n= 8 per treatment group, **: pθ.01).
This invention involves methods, compositions, and kits related to increasing the number of hematopoietic stem cells in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo. It can be used for cord blood and bone marrow stem cell expansion to stimulate the bone marrow microenvironment and to increase the stem cell number in bone marrow donors. The invention utilizes an FDA approved pharmacological product (drug) to stimulate the stem cells and their environment to increase their number, without genetic manipulation of the cells.
For More Information, Contact:
Michael Rusnak
Associate Director, Biological Sciences
585.784.8850
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