Aethlon Medical, Inc. announced that patent number 9,364,601 (601), related to methods for capturing an exosome from a patient, has been issued to the company by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The patent protects lectin-based exosome harvesting, diagnostics and therapeutic applications. In recent years, exosomes have emerged to become significant biomarker and therapeutic targets underlying a wide range of disease conditions, including cancer.  

The patent covers methods of capturing exosomes whereby a patient for exosome capture is identified and an exosome from the patient is bound to a surface that comprises a lectin thereby capturing the exosome.

It also covers methods of capturing an exosome whereby an exosome from a patient is contacted with an affinity device that comprises an affinity absorbent comprising a lectin thereby capturing the exosome on the affinity absorbent. The claims of the 601 patent are not limited to the type of lectin, form of bodily fluid, or disease indication.

Aethlon Medical is a developer of immunotherapeutic technologies to combat infectious disease and cancer. It is also the majority owner of Exosome Sciences, Inc., a company focused on the discovery of exosomal biomarkers to diagnose and monitor life-threatening diseases.