OCRID Investigators Receive U.S. Patent for Novel Anti-Fibrotic Technology

09/04/2026

Congratulations to Drs. Lin Liu and Chaoqun Huang on the issuance of a new U.S. patent for their innovative research on anti-fibrotic therapies

The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 12,637,678 for the invention titled “Anti-Fibrotic Compositions Comprising FENDRR or Fragments or Variants Thereof and Methods of Production and Use Thereof.” The inventors are Drs. Lin Liu and Chaoqun Huang.

Dr. Liu is a Regents Professor and the Lundberg-Kienlen Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research in the Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as Director of the Oklahoma Center for Respiratory and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Huang is an OCRID investigator and Associate Research Professor in the same department. The two researchers have collaborated for the past 17 years on research focused on respiratory and infectious diseases.

The patented technology focuses on the long non-coding RNA FENDRR and its fragments or variants as potential therapeutic agents for fibrotic diseases. The patent covers compositions containing FENDRR-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as well as vectors designed to deliver or express these molecules, and methods for their production and therapeutic use.

Fibrotic diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, are characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix and progressive tissue scarring that can ultimately impair organ function. This invention provides a novel RNA-based approach with potential applications in the development of new anti-fibrotic therapies.

The patent represents an important milestone in translating discoveries from the laboratory toward potential therapeutic applications and highlights the innovative research of Drs. Liu and Huang.