10. Genomics for transplants
WEF Emerging Technology 2024
The successful implantation of genetically engineered organs into a human marks a significant advancement in healthcare, offering hope to millions awaiting transplants.
Competitive Environment in genomics for transplants
Companies and universities with conceptually close patents to the technology definition
Countries in technology
(number of active patents in technology in 2024 country by inventor address)
Development of patent publications
(publications per year)
EconSight comment and short analysis
Personalised organs or genomics for transplants are a typical area of cutting-edge medicine that combines bioprinting and cell technology (of the nose, skin, bones, etc.) with personalised medicine such as CAR-T, cell and immunotherapy and gene editing. Here, too, a typical pattern emerges: there is a lack of larger players, a whole range of smaller players that are far ahead of demand with their specific solutions, and a considerable number of universities that are active. The level of maturity is therefore not yet extremely high, but we expect reliable solutions at any time or already in clinical phases. Companies such as Caribou Bioscience in the field of cell therapy, Nzenos gene editing transplantation technology, imusyn tissue generation techniques or Cutiss with its personalised skin procedure are close to or ready to generate organs on demand. The first target organ is the skin, as we can see from the players, but more complex organs are also already in their sights. It should be mentioned that personalised organ preparation is an area that various technological approaches are targeting, not only through genomics, but also, for example, through bioprinting. Players like Cellink are getting closer, but several other players from the inkjet, microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip and related industries are also very active in this area. However, these are somewhat outside the scope of this target search.
Background
- Textual concepts are generated for each WEF technology.
- The concepts are applied to our full-text AI-RAG (retrieval augmented generation system) which is optimised for highest precision patent analysis to identify the semantically close patents for each technology.
- A competitive environment with the most relevant companies and research institutions is developed where the relevance is calculated as the similarity of their patents compared to the technology concept. The closer to the technology core, the higher the similarity. Large corporates, small specialists and research institutions are shown separately.
Genomics for transplants: The successful implantation of genetically engineered organs into a human marks a significant advancement in healthcare, offering hope to millions awaiting transplants.
This invention relates to a method for genetically engineering organs to reduce the risk of immune rejection after transplantation into human recipients. The process involves editing the donor organ’s genome to remove or modify specific antigens that trigger the recipient’s immune response. Additionally, the engineered organs are designed to express immunomodulatory proteins that further minimize rejection and enhance graft survival. This technology represents a significant advancement in transplant medicine, potentially increasing the success rate of organ transplants and reducing the reliance on long-term immunosuppressive therapy.
The present invention describes a CRISPR-based genome editing technique for creating universal donor organs that can be transplanted into any human recipient without the need for extensive tissue matching. The method involves the precise editing of genes responsible for antigen expression, effectively masking the organ from the recipient’s immune system. This approach not only increases the availability of compatible organs but also reduces the waiting time for transplant patients. The technology holds promise for addressing the global shortage of donor organs and improving outcomes for transplant recipients.
This invention presents a method for bioengineering human-compatible organs with enhanced vascularization to improve transplant success. The organs are genetically modified to promote the development of robust and functional blood vessels, ensuring adequate blood flow and oxygen delivery post-transplantation. The genetic modifications also include the expression of factors that accelerate tissue integration and healing in the recipient’s body. This technology is particularly beneficial for complex organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys, where proper vascularization is critical for successful transplantation.
The invention describes a method for engineering xenotransplantation organs, specifically from porcine sources, to be compatible with human recipients. The process involves extensive genomic editing to eliminate porcine-specific antigens and to introduce human-compatible genes that regulate immune response and organ function. The resulting organs are less likely to be rejected by the human immune system and are suitable for use in life-saving transplants. This approach provides a new source of transplantable organs, potentially alleviating the shortage of human donor organs and saving countless lives.
This patent describes a personalized approach to organ transplantation using advanced genomic editing techniques. The method involves sequencing the genome of both the organ donor and recipient to identify potential immunological conflicts. The donor organ is then genetically modified to address these conflicts, creating a tailored organ that is more likely to be accepted by the recipient’s immune system. This personalized genomic editing reduces the risk of rejection and the need for immunosuppressive drugs, leading to better long-term outcomes for transplant patients.
Further information on our analysis approach and how we identify the most exciting startups and newcomers in highly specialised technology domains and evaluate them for private equity and venture capital can be found in our Precision Investing approach.
