Featured Influenza Vaccine and Diagnostic Technologies   View all Featured Influenza Technologies Assay for Identification of Influenza-Neutralizing Antibodies Description of Technology: Development of effective vaccines against influenza, especially pandemic or avian, is a subject of intense current research efforts. The efficacy of these vaccines has historically been assessed using hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assays. However, HAI assays are limited in their utility by lack of standardization amongst laboratories. The NIH is pleased to offer the subject technology, a system to quantitate virus neutralization and entry. This system utilizes pseudotyped lentiviral vectors that mimic properties of the influenza virus. Experimental use of this system has shown an increase in sensitivity more than ten times that achieved with HAI assays. This standardized system can allow influenza vaccine candidates to be evaluated and compared, which can be a critical step in identifying the best product forward. Applications: Quick, high-throughput, sensitive and quantitative measure of neutralizing antibodies for vaccine development Identification of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies Advantages: Standardized assay, unlike currently utilized assays Generation of comparable data for various vaccine candidates Development Status: Comparative data against current standard available. Inventors: Gary Nabel and Zhi-yong Yang (NIAID) Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-323-2007 -- U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/993,378 filed 11 Sept 2007 PCT Application No. PCT/US2008/075853 filed 10 Sep 2008 Licensing Status: Available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing. Portfolios: Infectious Diseases - Diagnostics, viral, non-AIDS Infectious Diseases - Research Materials For additional information, please contact: Cristina Thalhammer-Reyero, Ph.D., M.B.A. Office of Technology Transfer National Institutes of Health 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325 Rockville MD 20852 Phone: 301/435-4507 Fax: 301/402-0220 Email: thalhamc@mail.nih.gov