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Please Note: The technology listed below is not available to the public at this time. This technology is in the early stage of research and requires further development before it is ready for the marketplace. The VA is currently in the process of identifying potential companies who may be interested in licensing and/or further developing the technology through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA). Through cooperative research initiatives such as these, it is our hope and goal that commercial products will be fully developed and made available to benefit veterans and others.
VA TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Dysfunction of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases in Alzheimer's Disease
(02-079)
OPPORTUNITY:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a commercial partner to further develop this technology through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to expedite bringing it to market.
BACKGROUND:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people, resulting in memory loss, behavior and personality changes and a decline in thinking abilities. It is believed that up to 4 million Americans suffer from AD. An estimated 35 million people, 13 percent of the U.S. population, are 65 or older, and the number of people in this age group is expected to increase rapidly when the first baby boomers reach 65. Unfortunately, there are no effective diagnostic, prophylactic or therapeutic measures available in the market today to address the needs of people afflicted with AD.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
AD is a neurodegenerative disorder, with prominent pathological features involving the abnormal accumulation of a small peptide, β-amyloid ( Aβ ). However, the pathogenetic mechanisms associated with this abnormal accumulation remain unclear. This has significantly hampered understanding of the prognosis, prophylaxis and therapeutics for AD patients. However, the VA has discovered that decreasing expression level of G-protein-coupled receptor kinases, particularly GRK5, correlate with increasing levels of soluble Aβ that occurs prior to the onset of AD and remain elevated as the disease progresses. This has led to a method for detecting Alzheimer's pathogenesis which comprises measuring the content of G-protein receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) in membrane fractions from the brain of a patient and comparing the content to that of an unaffected control, wherein a decrease in membrane content of GRK5 indicates Alzheimer's pathogenesis.
TECHNICAL MERIT:
The discovery of GRK dysfunction in AD is completely novel. The direct link between soluble Aβ and GRK dysfunction before the disease onset and at its end stages, as found in postmortem brains, may represent one of the earliest pathogenetic events associated with soluble Aβ accumulation in AD. This opens potential new ground for the early diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapeutics of AD.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS:
The VA technology might have the following prognostic and diagnostic applications:
1. GRK dysfunction in peripheral blood cells might be used as the basis to develop prognostic methods that may help to identify high risk populations prior to actual clinical onset of Alzheimer's disease.
2. The present discovery may help to diagnose AD patients at early stages, which may make the prophylaxis of AD possible
PATENT STATUS:
US patent issued on 8-7-07 (7,252,953)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ken Levin, Ph.D.
Technology Transfer Specialist
Technology Transfer Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of Research & Development (12TT)
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420
Phone: 202-461-1713
Fax:202-254-0473
E-mail: Ken.levin@va.gov