On September 18, 2026, Zhengzhou H&H Bioengineering Co., Ltd. received a notification from the State Intellectual Property Office of the grant of an invention patent for "A Strains Composition for Alleviating Nephritis and Its Application" (Patent No.: ZL202211713416.9).
This is another innovative achievement for H&H Bioengineering in the field of probiotic functional research and microecological application research, and it also marks the further extension of the company's R&D system, which focuses on functional evaluation, combination design, and application transformation of characteristic strains, into the field of kidney health-related research.
Why is this patent noteworthy?
Data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2026 shows that an estimated 674 million people worldwide suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), accounting for about 9% of the global population. The WHO also points out that the disease burden from kidney disease is continuously increasing and predicts that if current trends do not change, CKD may become the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2050.
China also faces a significant disease burden. Based on the sixth national chronic disease and risk factor surveillance study in China from 2018 to 2019, covering 31 provincial-level administrative regions in mainland China, the weighted prevalence of CKD among Chinese adults is 8.2%, estimating approximately 82 million adults with CKD; among CKD patients, the disease awareness rate is only 10.0%.
In recent years, the "gut-kidney axis" has gradually become an important interdisciplinary direction in nephrology and microecology research. Existing studies have shown that there is a complex bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiota and the kidneys, involving multiple aspects such as gut microbiota composition, microbial metabolites, intestinal barrier, inflammation, and immune regulation. Related research is exploring the possibility of influencing kidney health by regulating the gut microbiota. It is against this research backdrop that H&H Bioengineering's newly granted patent extends its focus to research on the functional relationship between its unique probiotic blends and nephritis.
Four distinctive strains were used to construct a compound probiotic combination.
This patent constructs a composite strain combination based on four distinctive probiotic strains:
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum HH-BL18 (CCTCC NO: M 2022306)
Lactobacillus acidophilus HH-LA26 (CCTCC NO: M 2022305)
Lactobacillus plantarum HH-LP56 (CCTCC NO: M 2019497)
Lactobacillus helveticus HH-LPH17 (CCTCC NO: M 2021725)
All four strains have undergone strain identification, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and strain preservation, establishing a complete strain information archive, providing a foundation for subsequent functional research and industrial application.
Animal experiments: to further verify the functional performance of the combination.
To evaluate the effects of different bacterial strain combinations, this patent established a rat model of acute pyelonephritis. SD female rats were used, and the model was established by intravesical injection of *E. coli* bacterial solution. A blank control group, a model control group, a negative control group, and experimental groups with different bacterial strain combinations were set up.
The study mainly evaluated the following indicators:
01｜Bacterial levels in kidney tissue
02｜Urinary creatinine levels
03｜Serium IL-2 levels
The experimental results showed that some compound bacterial strain combinations exhibited good experimental effects in inhibiting bacteria in kidney tissue and improving related biochemical and inflammatory indicators, with the optimal combination showing more outstanding performance. These results provide experimental basis for further research on the nephritis-related functions and mechanisms of action of this bacterial strain combination.
From Patents to Applications: Providing New Options for the Development of Kidney Health-Related Products
Based on the compound bacterial strain combination of this patent, future product development can focus on kidney health, gut health, and overall health management.
Potential target audience: Individuals concerned about kidney health, gut health, and daily nutritional management.
Key areas of application: Development of probiotic raw materials, dietary supplements, functional foods, nutritional health products, and microecological products.
Through a development path of specialized bacterial strains → compound formulations → functional products, the application value of probiotics in the field of kidney health can be further expanded.
Deepen the cultivation of microbial strains and continuously promote innovation in probiotics.
As a national high-tech enterprise and a provincial-level specialized and innovative enterprise, H&H Bioengineering has long been deeply involved in the research, functional evaluation, and industrial application of probiotic strains. Currently, the company has established a resource bank of nearly 9,000 strains and continues to promote the screening, identification, and functional development of distinctive strains, many of which have already achieved industrial application.
The authorization of this patent for "a bacterial composition for alleviating nephritis and its application" represents a further expansion of this R&D system in the research directions related to kidney health and the gut-kidney axis.
In the future, H&H Bioengineering will continue to invest in R&D focusing on the screening of distinctive strains, functional evaluation, design of compound strains, and innovative delivery technologies, driving more probiotic scientific and technological achievements from the laboratory to industrial applications.