[Federal Register: November 21, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 225)]
[Notices]
[Page 70229-70230]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21no02-86]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, DHHS.
[[Page 70230]]
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by agencies of the U.S.
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance
with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results
of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent
applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage
for companies and may also be available for licensing.
ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville,
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057; fax: 301/402-0220. A
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive
copies of the patent applications.
Countercurrent Chromatography Separation of Polar Sulfonated Compounds
Adrian Weisz, Yoichiro Ito (NHLBI)
DHHS Reference No. E-304-2002 filed 26 Aug 2002.
Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/435-5019; berkleyd@od.nih.gov.
The invention is a method and apparatus for separating a quantity
of a sulfonated polar compound from other compounds in a mixture using
countercurrent chromatography. The inventors have found that
countercurrent chromatography techniques may be employed to separate
different species of polar sulfonated compounds that have resisted
isolation in preparative amounts by other chromatographic methods.
Countercurrent chromatography is a technique that has been used to
separate a variety of compound mixtures, but has not been previously
employed to separate multigram quantities of polar sulfonated compounds
without use of a ligand. In one embodiment, pH-zone-refining
countercurrent chromatography has been found especially successful in
this application. It has also been found that the use of an X-type
planetary centrifuge is beneficial to obtaining good results. For two
particular species of polar sulfonated compounds, the use of a cross-
axis (X1.5L-type) centrifuge successfully separated preparative
quantities (100 mg, gram, or multi-gram quantities) of material to
greater than 99% purity. The cross axis centrifuge facilitated the use
of polar solvent systems with high retention of the stationary phase,
resulting in successful separation and/or purification of large
quantities of polar compounds.
MRI Navigator Methods and Systems
Vinay Pai, Han Wen (NHLBI)
DHHS Reference No. E-164-2002 filed 16 Sep 2002.
Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/435-5019; berkleyd@od.nih.gov.
The invention is a non-breathhold flow sensitive navigator (FLOSEN)
technique for reducing respiratory motion artifacts in MR images that
tracks the cardiac position using a blood flow based complex difference
scheme. The approach tracks the fast moving blood during systole as a
marker for the heart position, while stationary or slow moving spins
are suppressed. By this approach, the position of the heart can be
determined directly, without needing fractional correlation with the
diaphragm motion. The method uses a spoiled-Fast Low Angle Shot (FLASH)
sequence and incorporates an alternating pair of bipolar velocity-
encoding gradients. This method appears to be capable of resolving
heart motions greater than +/-0.1 pixel. The navigator based on the
position of the fast moving blood volume in the left ventricle may be
applied prospectively to shift a subsequent imaging slice to compensate
for subject motion, and thereby provide MRI images with increase
clarity and resolution.
Method for Functional Kidney Imaging Using Small Dendrimer Contrast
Agents
Martin Brechbiel (NCI), Robert Star (NIDDK), Hisataka Kobayashi
DHHS Reference No. E-151-2002 filed 26 Aug 2002.
Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/435-5019; berkleyd@od.nih.gov.
The invention is a method for functional kidney imaging using small
dendrimer-based MRI contrast agents that transiently accumulate in
renal tubules. The accumulation enables visualization of renal
structure and function, permitting assessment of structural and
functional damage to the kidneys. Six small dendrimer-based MRI
contrast agents have been synthesized, and their pharmacokinetics,
whole body retention and renal MRI images were evaluated in mice.
Surprisingly, despite having unequal renal clearance properties, all of
the dendrimer agents clearly visualized the renal anatomy and proximal
straight tubules of the mice better than Gd-[DTPA]-dimeglumine.
Dendrimer conjugate contrast agents prepared from PAMAM-G2D, DAB-G3D
and DAB-G2D dendrimers were excreted rapidly and may be acceptable for
use in clinical applications.
Modified Defensins and Their Use
Dr. Joel Moss et al. (NHLBI)
DHHS Reference No. E-080-2002/0 filed 19 Feb 2002.
Licensing Contact: Marlene Shinn; 301/435-4426; shinnm@od.nih.gov.
The ubiquitous use of antibiotics has resulted in the selection of
bacteria that are relatively resistant to these drugs. Furthermore, few
drugs are effective against viral and fungal microorganisms. There is
therefore a continuing need to identify novel agents that reduce or
inhibit the growth of such microorganisms, or to identify ways of
modifying existing agents in order to give them superior antimicrobial
activities, or to identify agents that may recruit inflammatory cells.
Defensins are broad-spectrum antimicrobial molecules that act
against infectious agents and play important roles in the innate immune
defense in vertebrates. These molecules exhibit a wide range of
antimicrobial activities, including cytotoxicity towards bacteria
cells, but are also cytotoxic for mammalian cells, which limits their
usefulness as antimicrobial agents. The NIH announces the creation of
modified defensins through their arginine residues. These compounds can
be used to inhibit the toxic effect of defensins, while retaining their
T cell chemotactic properties and promoting recruitment of inflammatory
cells. In the case of pulmonary disease, these agents can be delivered
directly to the site of inflammation by inhalation.
Dated: November 8, 2002.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-29559 Filed 11-20-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P