[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 33 (Friday, February 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6246-6248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3517]



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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, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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    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 U.S. 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 Carol Lavrich, 
Technology Licensing Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, 
National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804 (telephone 301/496-7735 ext 287; fax 
301/402-0220). A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be 
required to receive copies of the patent applications.

Methods for Treating Autoimmune Diseases and Transplantation Rejection

Singer, D.S., Kohn, L.D., Mozes, E., Saji, M. (NCI)
Serial No. 08/503,525 filed 21 Aug 95 (CIP of 08/480,525) and Serial 
No. 08/464,130 filed 7 Jun 95 (DIV of 08/073,830)

    Methods for treating autoimmune diseases in mammals and for 
preventing or treating transplantation rejection in a transplant 
recipient are described in this invention. The invention relates to 
methods for treating and preventing these diseases, using drugs capable 
of suppressing expression of the major histocompatability complex (MHC) 
Class I molecules. The invention further includes method for in vivo 
and in vitro assays, for the development and assessment of drugs 
capable of suppressing expression of MHC Class I molecules. 
Furthermore, the invention provides a method for preventing rejection 
of cells containing a recombinant gene transplanted into a mammal in 
need of a gene therapy. (portfolio: Internal Medicine--Therapeutics, 
anti-inflammatory)

Methods for Treating Autoimmune Diseases and Transplantation Rejection

Singer, D.S., Kohn, L.D., Mozes, E., Saji, M. (NCI)
Filed 7 Jun 95
Serial No. 08/480,525 (FWC of 08/073,830)

    Methods for treating autoimmune diseases by suppressing the 
expression of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I 
molecules by administering either methimazole, methimazole derivatives, 
carbimazole, propylthiouracil, thionamides, thiourelylenes, thioureas, 
and thiourea derivatives. These compounds can be used to treat diseases 
such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, juvenile diabetes, primary 
idiopathic myxedema, myasthenia gravis, scleroderma, De Quervains 
thyroiditis, systemic lupus erythematosus dermatomyositis, 
polyarteritis nodosa, and polymyositis. This invention also provides 
the means for inhibiting transplantation rejection in humans. Also 
provided are in vivo and in vitro means for assessing and developing 
drugs capable of suppressing the MHC class I molecules. (portfolio: 
Internal Medicine--Therapeutics, anti-inflammatory)

Mutants Having a Deficit of Functional Steroid Hormone Receptors

Korach, K.S. (NIEHS)
Filed 7 June 95
Serial Number 08/480,854

    This invention concerns ``knockout'' animals, including mice, which 
have a deficit of functional steroid hormone receptors, DNA constructs 
containing the mutations, and methods for producing the animals. The 
mutation is introduced into the animal or its ancestors at an embryonic 
stage. These knockout animals provide a model system for studying the 
biological role of hormones, including steroid hormones and sex 
steroids, in growth, development, morphological differentiation, and 
sexual and reproductive behavior and cycles, etc. More specifically, 
the animals may serve as models for testing sex hormones and synthetics 
that mimic or antagonize sex hormones for use in birth control methods 
or as hormone replacement therapies. In addition, they provide a system 
for the characterization of materials suspected of precipitating or 
conferring protection against osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, 
breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and other cancers. (portfolio: 
Internal Medicine--Miscellaneous)

Nitroxides as Protectors Against Oxidative Stress

Mitchell, J.B., Samui, A., DeGraff, W., Hahn, S. (NCI)
Filed 7 Jun 95
Serial No. 08/473,960 (CIP of 07/859,622, U.S. Patent 5,462,946 issued 
31 Oct 95; CON of 07/494,532)

    New metal-independent nitroxide compounds are antioxidants capable 
of protecting cells, tissues, and organs against the harmful effects of 
toxic oxygen-related species (hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, 
superoxide). These toxic oxygen-related species have been implicated in 
tissue damage from ionizing radiation, reperfusion injury, adult 
respiratory distress syndrome, inflammation, and agents involved in 
such processes as carcinogenesis and aging. These mimetic agents have 
several advantages over natural antioxidants such as superoxide 
dismutase in that they can exert protection inside the cell since they 
are small and uncharged. Additionally, long-term administration of 
these agents to animals induces weight reduction without untoward 
effects. (portfolio: Internal Medicine--Miscellaneous)

Heparin--and Sulfatide-Binding Peptides From the Type I Repeats of 
Human Thrombospondin

Roberts, D.D., Browing, P.J., Bryant, J., Inman, J.K., Krutzsch, H.C., 
Guo, N. (NCI)
Filed 21 Mar 94
Serial No. 08/215,085 (CIP of 07/801,812, U.S. Patent 5,357,041 issued 
18 Oct 94)

    This invention describes a new family of related peptides that bind 
with high affinity to heparin or to heparin sulfate proteoglycans and 
inhibit specific functions of these molecules. The peptides thus are 
antagonists of basic fibroblast growth factor. Some of the peptides 
contain a second sequence that mediates activation of transforming 
growth factor-. Stable analogs of these peptides have been 
prepared that resist proteolysis and retain activity in vivo. The 
ability of these peptides to modulate tumor growth and angiogenesis has 
been demonstrated, and suggest that they might be useful as cancer 
therapeutic agents. Furthermore, the peptides may be useful for 
promoting adhesion to substrates coated with the peptides. The novel 
compounds, which are derived from the adhesive protein thrombospondin, 
have binding constants 10 to 100 times greater than those of currently 
available inhibitors; in addition, the heparin-binding sequence does 
not require an ionic charge, thus making them suitable 

[[Page 6248]]
for pharmaceutical preparations. It is expected that the high potency 
of these agents will lower the effective dose needed, and, 
subsequently, will reduce the immunological response against the 
peptides and the risks of toxicity. (portfolio: Internal Medicine--
Therapeutics, anti-inflammatory)

Peptide Derivatives of Cytochrome b558 and Their Use as Medicaments [as 
Anti-Inflammatory Agents]

Malech, H., Rotrosen, D. (NIAID)
Filed 24 May 90
Serial No. 07/527,767 (CIP of 07/331,652)
Licensing Contact: Carol Lavrich, 301/496-7735 ext 287

    A new anti-inflammatory agent based on two c-terminal amino acid 
sequences of cytochrome b558 has been shown to inhibit the production 
of toxic oxygen products (superoxide, peroxide) by human phagocytic 
cells. Because of its specificity for phagocytic cells, it is expected 
that these peptide derivatives would not have the side effects of other 
anti-inflammatory agents in general use. (portfolio: Internal 
Medicine--Therapeutics, anti-inflammatory)

    Dated: February 5, 1996.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 96-3517 Filed 2-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M