Patents - Our Competitive Advantage

MicroIslet's patent estate is focused on improving the functionality of microencapsulated cells. MicroIslet is the exclusive licensee of U.S. Patent #6,303,355 for a method of culturing, cryopreserving and encapsulating pancreatic islet cells and 6,365,385, for methods of culturing and encapsulating pancreatic islet cells. We believe these technologies represent state-of-the-art methods for the production of vastly improved microencapsulated islet cells in four important areas:

1. A long-standing problem in the art of xenotransplantation is the rapid and profound loss of functionality of islet cells once harvested from the donor animal. MicroIslet's culturing techniques are designed to preserve "freshly harvested" functionality profiles.
   
   
2. Freezing islet cells typically leads to widespread functional compromise. MicroIslet's technologies are being developed to allow for freezing and thawing of islet cells without damage or significant loss in glucose responsiveness. Our technology will enable isolation of vast quantities of islets from donors and the safe cryopreservation and shipment of cells worldwide for subsequent microencapsulation and transplantation, therefore eliminating the need for close proximity between the donor source and the patient.
   
   
3. Another limiting step in the prior art is that islet cells undergo significant loss of functionality due to the microencapsulation process. We believe the treatment of microencapsulated islet cells in MicroIslet's proprietary culturing mediums, prior to transplantation, will eliminate the typical post-microencapsulation loss of functionality.
   
   
4. The structural integrity of current microencapsulated islets rapidly deteriorates over time. MicroIslet has discovered that a final incubation of microencapsulated islet cells in certain agents results in a substantially more durable microencapsulate than has ever been produced before. This proprietary process does not appear to interfere with the functional responsiveness of the cells.
   
   

back to top