[Federal Register: July 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 38088-38089]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy07-66]
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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, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency 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.
Cyclic Phosphopeptide Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase 2C Delta, Wip1
Description of Technology: This technology involves the development
of specific peptides that can be used as anti-cancer agents,
particularly as promoters of apoptosis. The inventors have modified the
natural substrate of the Wip1 protein phosphatase in order to produce
the inhibitors, allowing for specific and efficient inhibition of Wip1.
These peptides represent the first Wip1 peptide inhibitors. The
inhibitors can be combined with other pro-apoptosis therapeutics to
improve patient survival, providing an advantage to previous pro-
apoptosis approaches.
Wip1 (PP2Cdelta or PPM1D) is a protein phosphatase that negatively
regulates cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis by preventing p53-mediated
cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Wip1 is overexpressed in several human
cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma and
neuroblastoma, suggesting it may play an important role in oncogenesis.
Inhibiting Wip1 may be a necessary step for inducing apoptosis and
prohibiting tumor growth, accentuating the need for Wip1-directed
therapies. Because these peptide inhibitors are the first specific Wip1
inhibitors, they represent the first opportunity to pursue this
therapeutic strategy.
Applications: Applicable as anti-cancer therapeutics for a wide
variety of tumors, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and
neuroblastomas. Inhibitors can also be combined with other cancer
therapeutics.
Advantages: Inhibitors are designed based on strucural similarity
to the native substrate, providing a high degree of specificity to the
target. First inhibitors directed to Wip1 as a target for cancer
therapy.
Benefits: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United
States, with approximately 600,000 cancer-related deaths occurring in
2006 alone. Wip1 inhibitors may provide a social benefit by reducing
that number or improving the quality/length of patient life.
Furthermore, the cancer therapeutic market is expected to reach $27
billion by 2009. Because these molecules are the first inhibitors of
Wip1, there is an opportunity to occupy a significant niche in that
predicted market.
Inventors: Ettore Appella et al. (NCI).
U.S. Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/850,218
(HHS Reference No. E-288-2006/0-US-01).
Licensing Contact: David A. Lambertson, Ph.D.; Phone: (301) 435-
4632; E-mail: lambertsond@mail.nih.gov.
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute
Center for Cancer Research, Laboratory for Cell Biology, is seeking
statements of capability or interest from parties interested in
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize
Cyclic Phosphopeptide Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase 2C Delta, Wip1.
Please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 301/435-3121 or
hewesj@mail.nih.gov for more information.
A Gene Therapy to Treat Lung Cancer
Description of Technology: This invention relates to the
identification of a new tumor suppressor gene named Caliban from
Drosophila melanogaster and Serologically determined colon cancer
antigen gene 1 (Sdccag1) from humans. Sdccag1 is inactive in human lung
cancer cells but active in normal lung cells. When full length Caliban
or Sdccag1 is expressed in human lung cancer cells they lose their
tumorigenicity. This suggests that Caliban/Sdccag1 could be used as
both a therapeutic and diagnostic for cancer.
Applications: Using gene therapy to replace the inactive gene with
full length Caliban/Sdccag1 to treat cancer(s); A diagnostic assay that
can determine whether the tumor
[[Page 38089]]
suppressor Caliban/Sdccag1 gene product is functioning in cells.
Advantages: Caliban/Sdccag1 can be easily adopted into already
standard gene therapy applications; Provides a novel therapeutic and
diagnostic target for cancer.
Benefits: It is estimated that there will be approximately 160,000
deaths caused by lung cancer in 2007. This technology will help in
improving the quality of life of lung cancer patients as well as other
cancers. Additionally, the gene therapy market is now a multi-million
dollar industry.
Inventors: Mark A. Mortin (NICHD), Xiaolin Bi (NCI).
U.S. Patent Status: Pending PCT Application PCT/US2006/022180,
published as WO 2006/13316 (E-118-2005/0-PCT-02).
Licensing Contact: David A. Lambertson, Ph.D.; Phone: (301) 435-
4632; Fax: (301) 402-0220; E-mail: lambertsond@mail.nih.gov.
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development is seeking statements of capability or
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to obtain
pre-clinical data to be used to further develop, evaluate, or
commercialize Caliban/Sdccag1 as a novel therapeutic and diagnostic
target for cancer and other diseases. Please contact John D. Hewes,
Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or hewesj@mail.nih.gov for more information.
Dated: July 5, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-13542 Filed 7-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P