Description of Invention:
The Dombrock blood group was first discovered in 1965. It is comprised of five alleles: two common alleles, Do(a+) and Do(b+), and three very rare alleles Gy(a), Hy, and Jo(a) which are essentially different null alleles. The Dombrock blood group system has been estimated to be the fifth most useful blood group marker in Caucasians. Blood typing for this blood group is hard to do, since there is a limited amount of antibodies, and the antigens are tricky to work with. This invention discloses the gene and polymorphisms of that gene that result in the Dombrock blood group antigenicity. Thus this invention provides for the first time a method for reliably typing the human blood supply for the Dombrock blood group antigenicity. The genetic information may also be used to generate antigen-specific antibodies for blood typing. The primary use for the technology is to improve blood typing practices through molecular means and thereby prevent clinical problems (transfusion reactions, etc.) associated with improperly mismatched blood.
Inventors:
Jeffery L. Miller (NIDDK) Alexander Gubin (NIDDK) et al.
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-185-2000/0 --
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/235,162 filed 23 Sep 2000
PCT Application No. PCT/US01/29954 filed 23 Sep 2001, which published as WO 02/33084 on 25 Apr 2002
U.S. Patent Application No. 10/381,325 filed 21 Mar 2003
For Additional Information Please Contact: Fatima Sayyid M.H.P.M.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-4521
Email: sayyidf@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
