Technology ID
TAB-3844

Vitamin C renal leak as a clinical diagnostic tool in the detection, monitoring, and management of acute and chronic diseases

E-Numbers
E-112-2021-0
Lead Inventor
Ebenuwa, Ifechukwude (NIDDK)
Co-Inventors
Violet, Pierre-Christian (NIDDK)
Levine, Mark (NIDDK)
Applications
Research Materials
Non-Medical Devices
Diagnostics
Therapeutic Areas
Neurology
Metabolic Disease
Endocrinology
Cardiology
Development Stages
Pre-clinical (in vivo)
Lead IC
NIDDK
ICs
NIDDK

This technology includes a clinical diagnostic tool for measuring vitamin C elimination by human kidneys that can be used for detecting, monitoring, and managing acute and chronic diseases. Findings revealed significant associations between vitamin C renal leak status and clinical variables affecting renal function and blood glucose. The technology uses vitamin C depletion-repletion kinetics and pharmacokinetic models to establish a physiological vitamin C renal threshold. This allowed us to define “vitamin C renal leak” as urinary vitamin C levels below the established minimal elimination threshold. The technology was tested and validated in multiple clinical studies involving more than five cohorts of healthy controls or those with chronic disease.

Commercial Applications
  • Establishment of a commercial service to measure vitamin C renal leak in plasma and urine for diagnostic or management purposes of many conditions (to include but not be limited to diabetes and Fabry disease).
  • Vitamin C renal leak may help detect and monitor renal damage in diabetes and other chronic conditions and potentially guide the timeline for protective medications such as ACE/ARBs.
  • Vitamin C renal leak may identify patients who would benefit from alternative medications for managing conditions. For example, GLP-1 agonists or SGLT-2 inhibitors may more effectively protect cardiovascular disease patients with vitamin C leaks.
  • Vitamin C loss may be a biomarker to indicate the need for earlier treatment of Fabry disease.
Competitive Advantages
Characterization of vitamin C renal leak may be used in the prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, or management of many diseases. For various acute or chronic medical conditions, vitamin C renal leak status may be the earliest indicator of underlying pathogenesis when compared to current laboratory measures such as creatinine or proteinuria. Vitamin C renal leak can also potentially be used to monitor disease progression (staging) and for positive responses or adverse reactions to therapeutic interventions (drugs or procedures). Additionally, knowledge of vitamin C renal leak status in individual patients or its prevalence in disease states may provide guidelines and recommendations for daily intake.
Licensing Contact:
Knezevic, Vladimir
vlado.knezevic@nih.gov