[Federal Register: July 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 144)]
[Notices]
[Page 48928-48929]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26jy02-101]
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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.
Suppressing Unencoded MRI Signal Contribution in Multi-Phase
Myocardial Tagging and Phase-Contrast Based Methods
Anthony H. Aletras (NHLBI)
DHHS Reference No. E-079-02/0
Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/496-7735 ext. 223; e-mail:
berkleyd@od.nih.gov.
The invention is a method for obtaining clear functional magnetic
resonance (MR) cardiac images without significantly increasing signal
acquisition time. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
the specimen magnetization is spatially encoded by application of one
or more radio frequency pulses (RF) and gradient magnetic fields. This
spatially encoded magnetization is then read out to produce images that
can be used to assess specimen motion. During this process the contrast
decreases from the beginning of the cardiac cycle as the magnetization
decays or relaxes, making the images more difficult to process and
interpret over time. This is currently solved by acquiring the images
twice (with a modified signal excitation phase) to suppress unwanted
unencoded MRI signal contributions; therefore improving the contrast.
Unfortunately, this prolongs the acquisition by a factor of two. In the
invention, an RF inversion pulse is used to suppress the undesirable
unencoded MRI signal contributions, thereby improving the contrast.
This RF frequency drives the undesired signal to an equilibrium around
zero, while preserving the desired encoded signal. The application of
the RF inversion pulse doubles the resolution of the image and does not
increase acquisition time. It allows for immediate evaluation of
myocardial contractility throughout the whole cardiac cycle without
requiring user intervention during phase-based data processing. There
is also the possibility that this method could be used in other areas
of the body, including the spinal cord, and the invention may be
applicable to the study of brain motion. This new method speeds up the
quantification of datasets, suppresses undesired signal contributions,
and doubles the resolution of the images without doubling acquisition
time.
ELISA Assay of Serum Soluble CD22 to Assess Tumor Burden/Relapse in
Subjects with Leukemia and Lymphoma
Robert Kreitman et al. (NCI)
DHHS Reference No. E-065-02/0 filed May 20, 2002
Licensing Contact: Richard Rodriguez; 301/496-7056 ext. 287; e-mail:
rodrigur@od.nih.gov.
Disclosed are methods of using previously unknown soluble forms of
CD22 (sCD22) present in the serum of subjects with B-cell leukemias and
lymphomas to assess tumor burden in the subjects. Also disclosed are
methods of diagnosing or prognosing development or progression of a B-
cell lymphoma or leukemia in a subject, including detecting sCD22 in a
body fluid sample taken or derived from the subject, for instance
serum. In some embodiments, soluble CD22 levels are quantified. By way
of example, the B-cell lymphoma or leukemia can be hairy cell leukemia,
chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Soluble CD22
in some embodiments is detected by a specific binding agent, and
optionally, the specific binding agent can be detectably labeled.
Also disclosed are methods of selecting a B-cell lymphoma or
leukemia therapy that include detecting an increase or decrease in
sCD22 levels in a subject compared to a control, and, if such increase
or decrease is identified, selecting a treatment to prevent or reduce
B-cell lymphoma or leukemia or to delay the onset of B-cell lymphoma or
leukemia.
Other embodiments are kits for measuring a soluble CD22 level,
which kits include a specific binding molecule that selectively binds
to the CD22, e.g. an antibody or antibody fragment that selectively
binds CD22.
Further disclosed methods are methods for screening for a compound
useful in treating, reducing, or preventing B-cell lymphomas or
leukemias, or development or progression of B-cell lymphomas or
leukemias, which methods include determining if application of a test
compound lowers soluble CD22 levels in a subject, and selecting a
compound that so lowers sCD22 levels.
Mutated Anti-CD22 Antibodies with Increased Affinity to CD22-
Expressing Leukemia Cells
Ira Pastan et al. (NCI)
HHS Reference No. E-129-01/0 filed Sep 26, 2001
Licensing Contact: Richard Rodriguez; 301/496-7056 ext. 287; e-mail:
rodrigur@od.nih.gov.
The present invention provides improved antibodies for binding to
CD22-expressing cells (CD22 is expressed on B cells and B-cell
malignancies), especially cancer cells that express CD22 on their
exterior surface. In this regard, the invention provides anti-CD22
antibodies with a variable light (VL) chain having the
sequence of antibody RFB4 and a variable heavy (VH) chain
having the sequence of antibody RFB4, but in which residues 100, 100A
and 100B of CDR3 of said VH chain (as numbered by the Kabat
and Wu numbering system)
[[Page 48929]]
have an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: THW,
YNW, TTW, and STY. The antibody can be a full length antibody molecule,
but is preferably a single chain Fv (``scFv''), a disulfide stabilized
Fv (``dsFv''), an Fab, or an F(ab').
The invention further provides compositions comprising these
antibodies conjugated or fused to a therapeutic moiety or a detectable
label. The therapeutic moiety can be a cytotoxin, a drug, a
radioisotope, or a liposome loaded with a drug or a cytotoxin. In
preferred embodiments, the effector moiety is a cytotoxin. The
cytotoxin can be selected from the group consisting of ricin A, abrin,
ribotoxin, ribonuclease, saporin, calicheamycin, diphtheria toxin or a
cytotoxic subunit or mutant thereof, a Pseudomonas exotoxin, a
cytotoxic portion thereof, a mutated Pseudomonas exotoxin, a cytotoxic
portion thereof, and botulinum toxins A through F. In preferred forms,
the cytotoxin is a Pseudomonas exotoxin or cytotoxic fragment thereof,
or a mutated Pseudomonas exotoxin or a cytotoxic fragment thereof. In
particularly preferred forms, the Pseudomonas exotoxin is selected from
the group consisting of PE35, PE38, PE38KDEL, PE40, PE4E, and PE38QQR.
In the most preferred embodiment, the Pseudomonas exotoxin is PE38. The
compositions may further comprise a pharmaceutically acceptable
carrier.
Dated: July 19, 2002.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-18944 Filed 7-25-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-Py