[Federal Register: May 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 95)]
[Notices]
[Page 26631-26632]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16my03-100]
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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.
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.
Methods and Apparatus for Performing Multiple Simultaneous
Manipulations of Biomolecules in a Two-Dimensional Array
Michael Emmert-Buck, et al. (NCI).
DHHS Reference No. E-339-2002/0
Filed Nov. 25, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@od.nih.gov.
This technology concerns a method and apparatus for accomplishing
and/or facilitating the analysis of multiple biomolecules separated in
a two-dimensional array, such as gel, membrane, tissue biopsy, etc. The
invention employs a separator, termed an External Movement Inhibitor
Device, that allows biomolecules to be transferred from an array such
as those listed above to another support system while maintaining the
two-dimensional spatial relationship of the biomolecules as in the
array. The biomolecules can subsequently be subjected to various
manipulations such as amplification, reverse transcription, labeling,
cloning, etc., after which multiple well-established methods for
quantitative and qualitative analysis can be used. The technology
allows detection/analysis of all molecules regardless of their
abundance.
Methods for Assessing the Ability of HIV Patients to Restrict HIV
Replication
Mark Connors, Stephen Migueles (NIAID).
DHHS Reference No. E-260-2002/0
Filed Sep. 20, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@od.nih.gov.
One of the current obstacles for the design and testing of
effective vaccines and immunotherapies of HIV is the lack of in vitro
correlates that will predict the ability to restrict virus replication.
This invention relates to methods for evaluating the effectiveness of
HIV therapies and vaccines and methods for assessing the ability of HIV
patients to restrict virus replication. Upon restimulation of
CD8+ T cells, the expression of perforin in these cells, and
the cell cycle stage of these cells may be measured and used as in
vitro markers for monitoring the patient's ability to restrict HIV
replication and the effectiveness of the therapies and vaccines
applied. Significant proliferation of CD8+ T cells, the
presence of perforin in these cells, and the ability of these cells to
progress beyond the G1 stage signify the patient's ability
to restrict HIV replication and a favorable effect of the therapies or
vaccines. These methods may be advantageously applied in conjunction
with other measurements of HIV specific immune response such as HLA
tetramers.
Safer Attenuated Virus Vaccines with Missing or Diminished Latency of
Infection
Jeffrey Cohen (NIAID), Edward Cox (FDA), Lesley Pesnicak (NIAID).
DHHS Reference No. E-250-2002/0
Filed Nov. 5, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@od.nih.gov.
This technology describes viruses that have weakened ability to
establish and/or maintain latency and their use as live vaccines. The
viruses have one or more genetic mutations that allow for continued
replication but that inhibit latency. The vaccine materials and methods
for their construction are exemplified with the virus that causes
chickenpox and whose latent infection results in shingles, a condition
that affects up to an estimated 1 million people per year in the United
States alone. Specific examples of gene deletion are described.
Furthermore, replacement of these deleted genes with other desirable
viral antigen encoding sequence(s) and/or cytokine genes in order to
enhance a desired immunological response is also described. Aspects of
this technology are relevant to other live virus vaccines, thus
increasing the safety of such vaccines.
HTLV-1 Cell Binding and Inhibition
Bishop Hague, Tong Mao Zhao, Thomas Kindt (NIAID).
DHHS Reference No. E-240-2002/0
Filed Oct 30, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@od.nih.gov.
This technology describes methods for inhibiting human T-cell
lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection in cells and for reducing
viral load or titer in infected individuals. As many as 20 million
people worldwide are infected with HTLV-I, and approximately 1 million
will develop adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, myelopathy, or tropic
spastic paraparesis (a condition similar to multiple sclerosis) as a
result of infection. Previous treatments have proven ineffective. The
current invention relates to the surprising results that adenosine
receptor antagonists specific for type A2A and A2B adenosine receptors
prevent binding of HTLV-I to cells. Such antiviral use of adenosine
receptor antagonists has not been suggested elsewhere. This technology
also has veterinary application, as such treatment methods could be
used against feline leukemia virus infections.
Flp-in T-Rex Jurkat Cell Line
Steven Zeichner, Naoto Yoshizuka (NCI).
DHHS Reference No. E-161-2003.
Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019;
mish@codon.nih.gov.
This Flp-in T-Rex Jurkat cell line offers rapid and efficient
generation of cell lines containing a gene of interest
[[Page 26632]]
by FRT-Flp recombinase mediated integration.
A cell line can be stably transformed with both the pFRT/lacZeo
(already in the parental Flp-in Jurkat cell line) and the pcDNA6/TR
plasmids. A gene of interest is cloned into plasmid, pcDNA5/FRT/TO.
When pcDNA5/FRT/TO, including the gene of interest, is co-transfected
along with a plasmid supplying a source of Flp recombinase into the
cell line, the recombinase mediates the insertion of the gene of
interest into the Flp recombination target (FRT) site in the pFRT/
lacZeo plasmid that becomes integrated into the DNA of the cell line.
The gene of interest can then be expressed in a tetracycline inducible
fashion.
Method of Assessing Ischemia in a Patient
Steven Warach and Lawrence Latour (NINDS).
DHHS Reference No. E-082-2002 Filed Mar. 17, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019;
mish@codon.nih.gov.
Hyperintense acute reperfusion marker (HARM) is well correlated
with reperfusion and is a precursor to or concomitant with reperfusion
injury and hemorrhagic transformation. The inventors have developed a
novel technique of assessing early blood brain barrier disruption
associated with ischemic stroke in a patient by administering a
contrast agent to the patient, acquiring a fluid-attenuated inversion-
recovery (FLAIR) image, and observing the presence or absence of HARM
on the acquired image. The technique can also be used to determine the
effectiveness of a therapeutic protocol for the treatment or prevention
of reperfusion injury or hemorrhagic transformation in a patient that
has suffered an ischemic event.
Dated: May 9, 2003.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Acting Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer,
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 03-12278 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P