Nutritional composition against side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy

Patent Number: 7,468,193

We at StemCellPatents.com have been seeing an increasing interest in "nutritional" modulation of the stem cell compartment.  For example, patent # 7,338,676 teaches the use pine cone extracts for inducing differentiation of progenitor cells to dendritic cells.  Patent # 6,814,961 covers the composition of blue green algae extracts sold by the multilevel marketing company StemTech as a mobilizer of stem cells, and even Paul Sanberg, famous cord blood stem cell expert from Tampa having his own "stem cell nutraceutical" in patent # 7,442,394 which is a composition of blueberries, vitamin D3 and other healthy things.

The current patent takes neutraceuticals to a different level by including in the mix the stem cell inhibitory cytokine TGF-beta.  The patent covers a "nutritional composition", a "method of alleviating and/or reducing side effects of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy", and a "method of providing nutrition". 

The composition used contains 1.4-1.6 kcal per ml and comprises: a) a lipid source, b) a carbohydrate source, c) a protein source that provides from 20 to 30% of the energy of the composition and comprises casein, whey and TGF-.beta.; and d) free glutamine in a quantity such as to provide from 2 to 15% of the energy of said composition; and wherein the remainder of said nutritional composition comprises 40 to 80% by weight of casein, from 60-20% by weight of whey; and from 0.5 to 20 .mu.g of TGF-.beta.3 per 100 kcal of the composition. 

If we understand correctly, the basis of the invention is that the TGF-beta will protect the intestinal stem cells from the adverse effects of the chemotherapy/radiotherapy, while the other ingredients will serve as a source of nutrients. 

View this patent on the USPTO website.