# Using Stress Proteins to Help the Body Accept Organ Transplants

> A method for preventing organ transplant rejection by using stress proteins to teach the immune system to tolerate donor tissue.

- **Patent:** US 5891653
- **Original title:** Method of suppressing graft rejection by means of stress proteins
- **Owner:** Individual
- **Granted:** 1999
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 15
- **Field:** biotech, pharmaceutical

## What it does

This patent describes a way to stop the body from attacking a transplanted organ by using stress proteins. These proteins are naturally occurring molecules that act like a delivery system; when bound to specific antigens from the donor organ, they can be introduced to the recipient's immune system. By presenting these donor-specific markers to immune cells, the treatment aims to modulate the immune response, essentially training the body to accept the graft instead of rejecting it. The process can involve treating cells outside the body or administering the protein-antigen complex directly to the patient.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover general protection against cell death or mortality.
- Does not cover non-specific immune suppression methods like traditional steroids.
- Does not cover the use of stress proteins without an attached donor-specific antigen.
- Does not cover surgical techniques for performing the actual transplant.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in using the stress protein's natural ability to bind and carry peptides to act as a chaperone, delivering the donor's specific identity markers to the immune system in a way that induces tolerance rather than an attack.

## Real-world examples

1. Experimental immunotherapy for organ transplantation
2. Research into antigen-specific tolerance induction

## Why it matters

Organ rejection remains a primary hurdle in transplantation, requiring patients to take lifelong immunosuppressants that leave them vulnerable to infection. This patent proposed a more targeted, biological approach to create immune tolerance, which is the holy grail of transplant medicine. It represents an early attempt to harness the body's own protein machinery to solve the rejection problem.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Using Stress Proteins to Help the Body Accept Organ Transplants cover?

A method for preventing organ transplant rejection by using stress proteins to teach the immune system to tolerate donor tissue.

### Who owns patent US 5891653?

Individual owns this patent, granted in 1999.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 5891653 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 15 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

Organ rejection remains a primary hurdle in transplantation, requiring patients to take lifelong immunosuppressants that leave them vulnerable to infection. This patent proposed a more targeted, biological approach to create immune tolerance, which is the holy grail of transplant medicine. It represents an early attempt to harness the body's own protein machinery to solve the rejection problem.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover general protection against cell death or mortality.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5891653/hiv-viral-load-test-bdna

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US5891653

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._