For information on technology available for licensing or commercialization, awards, or project information through the Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership at Case Western Reserve University, please contact the Case-Coulter program leadership and we would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. This is a partial list, so please feel free to contact the team to learn more about these or additional opportunities. When available, technologies with one-page overviews are linked to the technology title.
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Devices
Gastrointestinal Liner for Diversion of Intestinal Contents
Steve Schomisch, assistant professor of surgery
Jeff Marks, professor of surgery
People sometimes develop a wound connecting their intestine to their skin. This complication is incredibly debilitating and costly. The intestinal contents leak out onto the skin causing injury to the skin and muscle, dehydration and malnutrition, and there is currently no way to stop it. The researchers are developing a novel management strategy to greatly reduce the leak, which reduces cost of care and helps patients recover faster.
Learn more about the Gastrointestinal Liner.
Enabling Closed-loop Baroreflex Activation in the Treatment of Refractory Hypertension
Jonathan Baskin, associate professor of otology head and neck and staff physician at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Dustin Tyler, the Kent H Smith Professor II of Biomedical Engineering
Gilles Pinault, assistant professor of surgery and staff physician at University Hospitals
Steve Majerus, research scientist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious health care problem associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Physicians rely heavily on drugs to treat hypertension, but there is a significant and growing population that is drug-resistant. Their approach employs an implanted neuromodulatory system to address this unmet need. They have demonstrated efficacy of their novel stimulation system in an acute human model, however, a vital element in this treatment modality is sensing blood pressure.
D-Flate: Wearable Untethered Lymph Drainage Device for Treatment of Lymphatic System Insufficiency
Ozan Akkus, professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering & Biomedical Engineering
Karem Harth, associate professor in the School of Medicine and vascular surgeon at Univerity Hospitals
D-Flate is an untethered lightweight wearable compression device that is used to reduce limb swelling in lymphedema patients. D-Flate’s fabric-like design increases patients’ daily use-compliance, results in greater reduction in limb girth, and may reduce complications such as cellulitis or ulcers.
Minimally Invasive Interfascicular Nerve Stimulation (MiiNS) System for Chronic Pain Management
Dustin Tyler, Kent H. Smith Professor, biomedical engineering
Salim Hayek, professor, anesthesiology
This is a drug-free technology to provide targeted, comfortable, worry-free relief to people suffering from long-term pain. The discomfort and emotional stress from pain affects a person’s activity, sleep, and ability to live a healthy life, leading to other serious health problems. Our Minimally Invasive Interfascicular Nerve Stimulation (MiiNS) technology provides a targeted, personally customized and comfortable treatment without side effects, addiction or surgical procedures. MiiNS can be implanted by a doctor during a simple office visit to provide long lasting pain relief.
Keygrip: A Simple System for Hand Grasp
Megan Moynahan, executive director of the Institue for Functional Restoration
Harry Hoyen, professor of orthopaedic surgery
KeyGrip is a simple implanted stimulation system that provides lateral pinch to people with cervical spinal cord injury, enabling them to pick up and use small objects and giving them independence in eating, writing, and other activities of daily life. KeyGrip has 2-3 implantable electrodes that can be placed in an outpatient procedure to activate paralyzed muscles. Activation of the implant is achieved through externally placed components. KeyGrip’s design is based on conversations with over two dozen researchers familiar with neuroprosthesis applications for hand grasp and represents an idealized minimally viable product. Our emerging partnership with Nalu is anticipated to be the commercial pathway for the KeyGrip system. The Nalu system most closely matches the technical specifications and company profile needed for KeyGrip.
Diagnostics
TraumaChek: A Field-Deployable Dielectric Coagulometer for Comprehensive Assessment of Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy
Anirban Sen Gupta, professor biomedical engineering
Sanjay Ahuja, professor of pediatrics
TraumaChekTM is a miniaturized, multichannel, portable, handheld blood coagulation analyzer for early, rapid, and comprehensive assessment of trauma-induced coagulopathy to guide hemorrhage control, transfusion, and resuscitative management of trauma at the point-of-injury by first responders and at the point-of-care by hospital clinicians.
MIRCA-Dx: A Revolutionary New Way to Assess Targeted and Genetic Therapies for Inherited Red Cell Disorders
Umut Gurkan, the Warren E. Rupp Associate Professor of mechanical engineering
Pedram Mohseni, the Goodrich Professor of Engineering Innovation and chair of electrical, computer and systems engineering
Sanjay Ahuja, professor of pediatric hematology/oncology and staff physician at University Hospitals
New genetic therapies can correct unhealthy red blood cells, but can’t assess the health and functional properties of the newly made red cells in a patient. The researchers offer a novel reproducible, portable diagnostic test for physicians and pharmaceutical companies to measure how well the new genetic therapies work for a red blood-cell disorder, such as sickle cell disease.
Novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Agent for Tumor Detection and Treatment
Susann Brady-Kalnay, professor of molecular biology and microbiology
James Basilion, professor of radiology biomedical engineering and pathology
Specific tumor detection is critically important in cancer imaging to avoid unnecessary biopsies to exclude false-positive findings and to allow treatment—or redirection of treatment—at earlier stages of the disease. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agents that specifically recognize tumor cells are necessary for improved imaging and subsequent evaluation of therapeutic efficacy independent of their metabolic rates. PTPµ is a novel imageable biomarker that can be used to specifically and more comprehensively detect and monitor aggressive invasive and metastatic tumors.
Learn more about using PET imaging to detect tumors.
Bioinspired Microfluidic Point-of-Care Testing of Antimicrobial Resistance (CamoChip)
Mohamed Draz, assistant professor in the School of Medicine
Robert Bonomo, professor of medicine
CamoChip is antimicrobial resistance testing microchip technology that revolutionizes how we detect and combat drug-resistant bacteria. This microchip quickly identifies specific enzymes that indicate resistance to common antibiotics. With its rapid and accurate results, this technology helps healthcare professionals make informed decisions and prescribe optimal targeted treatments, fostering more effective infection control and combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance
Point-of-Care Device for Monitoring and Diagnosis of Oral Cancer
Aaron Weinberg, associate dean for research, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences and professor
Umut Gurkan, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
Santosh Ghosh, senior research associate
Oral cancer kills thousands in the United States and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Early detection is key to improved survival. Oral cancer is now diagnosed by tissue biopsy, followed by pathology review.
But biopsies are expensive, painful, can cause complications and are impractical, should monitoring be required.
The team’s novel technology builds on a recent discovery that the two proteins produced in early stages of oral cancer change their ratios in cancerous cells, and that the ratio could be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool. The researchers have developed a point-of-care microfluidic device which, when connected to a smartphone, obtains ratio results within 15 minutes.
Advantages include the ability to: non-invasively swab and diagnose a lesion for cancer while the patient waits; determine if a biopsy is necessary; permit pre-malignant lesions to be monitored; perform the test in any dental or ear, nose and throat clinic as part of oral health check-up; and obtain results at one-tenth the cost of a biopsy and pathology review.
Learn more about the point-of-care device.
Rapid Hemoglobin-Oxygen Dissociation Assay (RHODA): A Rapid High Throughput Screening Assay for Hemoglobin Disorders
Umut Gurkan, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
Sanjay Ahuja, professor of pediatric hematology/oncology
Ozan Akkus, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most abundant cells in humans and perform one of the most essential roles for life: oxygen transport. Hemoglobin disorders and blood storage impact the oxygen-carrying function of RBCs. Blood transfusion is a common preventive and therapeutic procedure with 36,000 units transfused daily in the US alone. This project will de-risk and translate Rapid Hemoglobin-Oxygen Dissociation Assay (RHODA) as the first rapid, high-throughput diagnostic platform for measuring hemoglobinoxygen affinity for screening hemoglobin disorders and blood quality assessment. RHODA will transform hemoglobin screening in clinical laboratories and RBC quality assessment workflow in blood banks.
Robust Nanobubble Contrast Agents for Real-time Ultrasound Guided Prostate Cancer Biopsy
Agata Exner, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering
Jim Basilion, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering
This technology will enable a more efficient and effective prostate cancer diagnosis while building on the existing biopsy workflow and clinical ultrasound imaging technology. The nanobubble imaging agent will specifically target prostate cancer cells and serve as a beacon guiding the urologist, in real time, to possible tumors. Nanobubble-guided biopsies could identify tumors more accurately and could lead to fewer procedures, thus reducing risk, lowering costs and shortening the time to diagnosis and treatment.
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Learn more about the nanobubble contrast.
Therapeutics
BAFF CAR-NK Cells for Therapy of B Cell Malignancies
Reshmi Parameswaran, assistant professor of medicine
Umut Gurkan, the Warren E. Rupp Associate Professor of mechanical engineering
B cell Activating Factor Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Natural Killer (BAFF CAR-NK) cells can specifically kill B cell cancers in a very effective manner with minimum side effects. This is a potential therapy to address patients not responding to current cancer treatments.
Learn more about BAFF CAR-NK cells.
BG34-200: A Potent Immunotherapeutic for Melanoma, Osteosarcoma, Pancreatic Cancer and Other Solid Tumor Cancers
Mei Zhang, research assistant professor, biomedical engineering
Alex Huang, professor of pediatrics and pathology
A significant fraction of patients with solid tumor cancers in metastatic and advanced settings do not respond to immunotherapies due to a lack of T-cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment. This botanical-derived non-toxic BG34-200 molecule can be intravenously injected to modulate macrophages and create a tumor microenvironment that is vital for the generation of antitumor T-cell responses. The team is launching a clinical trial targeting canine metastatic osteosarcoma (OS) to collect key and gap data in preparation for a First-In-Human clinical trial targeting pediatric and AYA OS.
Combinational Nanovaccine for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Zheng-Rong Lu, Rudy Professor of biomedical engineering
Li Lily Wang, associate professor at Cleveland Clinic
Jordan Winter, surgical oncologist at University Hospitals
Alex Huang, professor of pediatrics and pathology
This multi-component anti-cancer nanoparticle-based vaccine (nano vaccine) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma works by targeting a pancreatic cancer neoantigen, KRAS, and subsequently, activating systemic whole-body inflammation and local tumor inflammation to increase the production of immune cells such as regulatory T cells. By activating the immune system, these cells can be recreated to the tumourous area and can reduce tumor growth over time. Preclinical studies have shown disease-free survival in mice bearing pancreatic tumors.
Cell-Associated Strategy for Delivery of Gene Therapy Particles
John Tilton, associate professor of Nutrition
Chris Flask, professor of Radiology & Biomedical Engineering
Laura Konczal, Pedicatric Geneticist at University Hospitals
The major bottleneck in developing effective gene therapies for genetic disorders and other diseases is a problem of disseminating the gene therapy particles in the body: we simply can’t get enough of the particles to the right cells in the right tissues. The goal of this technology is to develop a cell-based or ‘Trojan Horse’ platform to deliver gene therapy particles to stem cells in the body by mimicking how viruses spread from cell to cell.
This technology builds upon the natural trafficking behavior of T cells, well-documented viral biology, and established cellular engineering technologies, potentially resulting in the development of a cell-based platform for delivering gene therapies to stem cells in the body for genetic diseases, with potential applications in regenerative medicine, cancer, and possibly aging.
NeutroStat: Neutrophil-targeted Nanomedicine for Treating Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
Evi Stavrou, assistant professor of medicine and staff physician at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Anirban Sen Gupta, professor of biomedical engineering
The NeutroStat technology consists of a nanoparticle loaded with specific neutrophil signal inhibitory drugs. The nanoparticle can specifically target activated neutrophil-platelet complexes that are the hallmark of developing clot niche in venous thrombosis and weakens the clot growth by decreasing neutrophil-driven thrombotic mechanisms.
Drug-Free Targeted Prostate Cancer Treatment with TNT (Targeted Nanobubble Therapy)
Agata Exner, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering
Jim Basilion, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering
Drug free, low toxicity prostate cancer treatment using nanobubbles are targeted to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) biomarker overexpressed on prostate tumor cells. The nanobubbles are injected into the bloodstream and specifically seek out only the cancer cells. Once inside the target cell, the NBs remain trapped and can be excited with an ultrasound pulse. Exposure to ultrasound results in collapse of the bubbles, leading to a highly focused mechanical disruption of the cancer cells and cell death. The approach, which we call TNT – targeted nanobubble therapy - can fit into the existing clinical work flow and can be carried out with standard clinical ultrasound equipment. TNT can treat tumors without severe side effects, as it will be effective only when NBs are sonicated and will destroy only the cancer cells and not the surrounding healthy cells.
Learn more about Targeted Nanobubble Therapy.
Photosorb: Engineered Sunscreen With Single, Multifunctional Active Ingredient
Vijay Krishna, assistant staff in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Biomedical Engineering
Edward Maytin, staff in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Dermatology
Every year, more than one million new cases of skin cancer, including melanoma, are diagnosed in the United States. The primary cause is exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from sunlight. Sunscreens can block UV, but increasing concerns about the health and environmental risks of chemical sunscreens now on the market underscores an urgent need for safer, more effective alternatives. A team from biomedical engineering and dermatology at Cleveland Clinic is developing a novel sunscreen (PhotoSorb) that appears to be safer and more stable than current sunscreens, and also has the potential to actually prevent skin cancers.
Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic-efficacy and Safety Studies of Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies to Treat Inflammatory and Immune Diseases
Yunmei Wang, associate professor of medicine
Xin Yu, the F. Alex Nason Professor of biomedical engineering
Daniel Simon, professor of medicine and chief clinical and scientific officer and president of University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
They developed novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a key extracellular signaling protein, the myeloid related protein-14 (MRP-14, aka S100A9), that acts as a potent driver of inflammation and thrombosis. MRP-14 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human diseases including SLE, thrombosis, atherosclerosis and acute lung injury.
Prevention of Blindness by an Orally Active Cell Death Inhibitor M109S
Shigemi Matsuyama, associate professor of opthalmology
Horst von Recum, professor of biomedical engineering
Shree Kurup, professor of opthalmology
The cM019S compound prevents retinal cells from death. M109S has the potential to be the first therapeutic that can prevent blindness in patients suffering from progressive vision loss due to injuries or genetic mutation.