Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed multi-specific antibody molecules including bi-specific and tri-specific antibodies that could serve to co-localize effector T-cells, target tumor B-cells and would simultaneously enhance anti-tumor activity and proliferation, whilst minimizing potential systemic toxicities

A novel method and device for high-throughput sorting of cells in suspension, particularly focusing on the separation of key cellular blood components of the immune system. The patent application presents a novel approach to high-throughput cell sorting, particularly suitable for applications in medicine and biotechnology where precise separation of cell populations is crucial.

CO poisoning is the most common form of poisoning worldwide. In the United States alone, over 50,000 emergency department visits each year are attributed to CO exposure. Despite the prevalence of CO poisoning, there is no clinically-approved antidote available.Current best practices involve placing the afflicted subject in fresh air, delivering 100% O2, or administering superatmospheric levels of O2 in a hyperbaric chamber. These treatments all serve to clear CO from the body by displacing it from metalloproteins with O2. The typical half-life of COHb in the bloodstream is 5.3 h, but hyperbaric O2 (1.5-3 atm) can decrease this half-life to < 1 h.Unfortunately, these large chambers are generally located in tertiary care centers to which patients must be transported. Moreover, hospitals typically house only a few such chambers, which would be rapidly overwhelmed in the event of a mass exposure.Although there are no clinically approved antidotes to CO poisoning, two strategies have been described: the creation of molecules that enhance the rate of release of CO from carboxyhemoglobin (formed during CO poisoning) and the creation of molecules that bind CO more strongly than physiologically important proteins such as hemoglobin.  

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a potential drug target for cancer and inflammation by studying the binding of integrins to P-selectin.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed artificial red blood cells consisting of hemoglobin that is tethered to polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules and formed into microspheres.

The existing CAR-engineered T cell-based (CAR-T) therapy represents one of the most successful immunotherapy approaches developed in recent years. Most CAR-T cell therapy has been used clinically to treat hematological malignancies by targeting the B cell-specific antigen, CD19. However, this approach is not without limitations due to toxicities such as by neurotoxicity or cytokine release syndrome. Additionally, CAR-T cells function only as autologous cells due to graft-versus-host disease that would develop if cells were obtained from another person. Therefore, CAR-T cells must be produced on a patient-specific basis. NK cells, on the other hand, function as allogenic cytotoxic effector cells that do not have to be utilized on a patient-specific basis and are proven to be less toxic since they do not cause cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, or graft-versus-host disease. For these reasons, CAR-engineered NK (CAR-NK) cells have increasingly attracted interest as an alternative CAR-cell therapy. However, there exist other unmet challenges. Targeting CAR-based therapies against solid tumors has been challenging due to the lack of truly tumor-specific antigens as most targets are shared by non-malignant cells and can cause toxicity due to “on-target, off-tumor” effects.” A fine-tunable CAR therapy is useful to better identify and target tumors while limiting this toxicity.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed methodologies that perform dynamic PET imaging and provide opportunities for tracing blood flow and other biological systems in real-time.

This invention is a printed, flexible, two-channel reflectance oximeter able to collect PPG signals using red and near- infrared (NIR) (or green) organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photodiodes (OPDs). Inverse-variance weighting and template matching algorithms are used to improve the detection of heart rate from the multi-channel PPG signals.   

UCLA researchers from the Department of Medicine have developed a novel immunoassay for human erythroferrone.

UC Irvine inventors developed a device comprising a handheld and portable motion-stabilized laser speckle imaging (LSI) device that can be used in clinical settings to measure and illustrate blood flow maps of a patient’s tissue or organs.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a highly prevalent and growing global health concern categorized by progressive loss of kidney function and strong correlation to cardiovascular disease (CVD).  Dialysis is the gold standard among renal replacement therapies (RRT) for managing kidney failure in CKD patients upon presentation of uremic symptoms; however, dialysis is in itself a strong and independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality.  A lengthy list of uremic retention compounds has been identified as potential toxins driving cardiorenal syndrome because of their inadequate removal during dialysis, but cardiotoxicity from circulatory waste accumulation is insufficient to explain the scope of cardiovascular adverse events observed. The present invention is an end cap for a filter, such as a hemodialysis filter, said end cap comprising an inlet end and an outlet end and an inner space whereby fluid flow and/or the pressure gradient exerted on a fluid flowing from the inlet end to the outlet end from the inlet end to the outlet end gradually converges or gradually diverges

UCLA researchers from the Department of Medicine have developed a novel technique for inducing increased hematopoietic recovery after HSC transplantation by targeting the protein tyrosine phosphatase-sigma (PTP-sigma) pathway.

UCLA researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have developed a novel process to inhibit amyloid aggregation of Transthyretin, which is associated with three debilitating disorders including senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA), Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathies (FAP), and Familial Amyloidotic Cardiomyopathies (FAC).

Most pulse oximeters are linked with one or two LEDs, depending on which scheme was used.  In this invention, we demonstrate pulse oximetry with no controlled LEDs, utilizing ambient light as the light source, and use two spectrally-selective OPDs. Organic absorbers are selected so that the fabricated OPDs will be able to sense green, red, and NIR.

Separating and classifying circulating cancer cells from whole blood using a single cell trap microfluidic platform coupled with label free fluorescence life time imaging.

OCE (Optical Coherence Elastography) and ARF (Acoustic Radiation Force) for blood coagulation assessment. Diagnostic tool for assessing the clot formation/dissolution kinetics and strength.

Medical devices are susceptible to contamination by harmful microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, which form biofilms on device surfaces. These biofilms are often resistant to antibiotics and other current treatments, resulting in over 2 million people per year suffering from diseases related to these contaminating microbes. Death rates for many of these diseases are high, often exceeding 50%. Researchers at UCI have developed a novel anti-bacterial and anti-fungal biocomposite that incorporates a nanopillared surface structure that can be applied as a coating to medical devices.

Media that contains nutrients and growth factors is necessary to grow all types of cells, a process that is widely used in many fields of research. Such media should be routinely changed either to different media or a fresh batch of the same media. This change currently involves either using a pipette to transfer cells from their current dish of media to a new dish, or aspirating the media out of the dish and replacing it with new media. Both methods have inherent risks to stressing and damaging the cells. Researchers at UCI have developed a unique dish for growing cells that allows for safer aspiration of the old media, which reduces stress and damage to the cells.

Researchers from the Chemistry and Biochemistry department at UCLA have developed method of separating and/or sorting specific target structures from other non-target structures in a complex mixture using custom-made target-specific colloidal particles.

UCLA Researchers have identified a novel pharmacological target for hematopoietic stem cell regeneration. They have developed small molecule inhibitors against the target and shown that the inhibitors cause rapid stem cell regeneration.

The invention is a miniaturized device that assays the respiration of a single mitochondrion. Through a novel approach for measuring oxygen consumption rate, the device provides information on cell and tissue mitochondrial functional. This data is relevant for understanding human conditions associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer.

Individuals with genetic immunodeficiency, as well as patients with HIV, cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy or high risk surgery, are at increased risk for infection. C1q, an important component of the immune system, is known to enhance phagocytosis (cell ingestion of harmful bacteria or other materials). Scientists at UCI have developed antibodies to the receptor for C1q, C1qRp, to be used as a target for prophylactic treatments in populations at high risk of infection.

The Mikkola group at UCLA has discovered a novel regulator of hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal. The overexpression of this regulator increases the yield of ex vivo stem cell expansion and could thereby improve the efficiency of stem cell therapies. 

Soft-tissue injuries and organ transplantation are common in modern combat scenarios. Organs and tissues harvested for transplantation need to be preserved during transport, which can be very difficult. Micro and nanobubbles (MNBs) offer a new technology that could supply oxygenation to such tissues prior to transplantation, thus affording better recovery and survival of patients. Described here is a novel device capable of producing MNB solutions that can be used to preserve viability and function of such organs/tissue. Additionally, these solutions may be used with negative pressure wound therapy to heal soft-tissue wounds.

Researchers at UCLA have developed a fusion protein that can detect immune cells expressing anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors with higher specificity and lower background than existing antibodies.