[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 160 (Friday, August 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42639-42640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20943]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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.

ADDRESS: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by contacting Allan Kiang, 
J.D., at the Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-
3804; telephone: 301/496-7735 ext 270; fax: 301/402-0220. A signed 
Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of 
the patent applications.

Immunization With Synthetic Peptides Generate Cytotoxic T Cell 
Responses Against the EWS/FL1 1 Ewing's Sarcoma Fusion Protein and the 
PAX-3/FKHR Alveolar Rhabdomysarcoma Fusion Protein

TJ Goletz, LJ Helman, JA Berzofsky (NCI), Filed 14 Sept 95, Serial No. 
08/528,129

    This invention provides novel methods of producing vaccines and 
therapeutics to viral infections or cancer(s). This method utilizes 
irradiated, peptide-pulsed antigen presenting cells (APCs) which are 
coated with synthetic or recombinant peptides. These APCs can be used 
to induce a tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response. This 
broadly applicable method uses safe, non-toxic synthetic or recombinant 
peptides and does not utilize harmful adjuvants or live viral vectors. 
Peptides derived from viral or bacterial antigens or mutant oncogene or 
tumor suppressor gene products may be applied towards this method. For 
example, using this method, a synthetic peptide which corresponds to 
the site of the mutation in the tumor suppressor gene product p53 can 
be used to induce a CTL response which kills tumor cells endogenously 
expressing the mutant p53 gene. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, 
biological response modifiers; Cancer--Therapeutics, vaccines)

O-Malonlytyrosyl Compounds, O-Malonllytyrosyl Compound-Containing 
Peptides, and Uses Thereof

TR Burke, B Ye, M Akamatsu, X Yan, HK Kole, PR Roller (NCI), Filed 31 
Mar 95, Serial No. 08/414,520

    Phosphotyrosyl residues in signalling proteins, which appear to act 
as molecular switches in phosphotyrosyl-dependent cellular signal 
transduction pathways, are potential targets for therapeutic agents. 
The phosphotyrosol-dependent signal transduction pathway is composed of 
three elements: the protein kinases which add phosphates to tyrosine 
residues, the protein phosphatases which remove the phosphate, and the 
interaction of other signaling proteins with proteins containing 
phosphotyrosyl residues. This invention describes a phosphotyrosyl 
mimetic 0-malonyltryosine (OMT) which uses a malonate moiety in place 
of phosphate that can be derivatized and thus potentially made 
permeable to cell membranes. Peptides containing OMT residues are 
therefore potential therapeutic agents for disease states with altered 
cellular signaling including cancer. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, 
conventional chemotherapy, antimetabolites)

Assay for Sensitivity of Tumors to DNA-Platinating Chemotherapy

E Reed, M Dadholkar, F Bostick-Burton (NCI), Filed 07 Mar 95, Serial 
No. 08/399,617

    The invention provides a method for determining the sensitivity of 
a tumor tissue to treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. The 
method is based on detecting high levels of the mRNA for ERCC1 which 
includes exon VIII or concurrent expression of ERCC1 and XPAC mRNAs in 
fresh tumor tissues. Studies show that this method clearly 
distinguishes between platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant tumors 
(J. Clin. Invest. 94:703-708, 1994). (portfolio Cancer--Research 
Reagents, DNA based)

Confirmationally Constrained Diacylglycerol Analogues

VE Marquez, J Lee, R Sharma, S Wang, GWA Milne, MC Nicklaus, PM 
Blumberg, NE Lewin (NCI), Filed 13 Jan 95, Serial No. 08/372,602

    Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a member of the second messenger system in 
cell signal transduction. DAG is released from membrane phospholipids 
in response to the binding of a variety of agonists. Once released, DAG 
binds to the regulatory domain of protein kinase C (PK-C) and in doing 
so aids in the activation of the kinase. PK-C, when activated, is 
capable of phosphorlyating a variety of other proteins involved in 
cellular processes including growth, differentiation, inflammation, 
nerve function, tumor promotion, and ocogenic expression. Given the 
global action of PK-C, molecules that can activate or inactivate this 
enzyme would be very useful. The claims of this

[[Page 42640]]

invention describe a series of a diaclyglycerol analogues, which act as 
potent pharmacological agonists of PK-C and can be easily synthesized. 
(portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, conventional chemotherapy, 
antimetabolites)

Treatment of Cancer With Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

Y Lunardi-Iskandar, RC Gallo, JL Bryant (NCI), Filed 5 Aug 94, Serial 
No. 08/286,299

    A major complication in treating tumors is that many of the known 
treatments, such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, have serious 
side effects. Other types of cancers are not amenable to conventional 
therapies due to the fact that the exact mechanism by which the disease 
develops is unknown. An example of this type of cancer is Kaposis 
sarcoma. Kaposis sarcoma is the most common malignancy in AIDS 
patients. Current therapies for Kaposis sarcoma can cause myelotoxicity 
and neurotoxicity. In addition, these treatments can also induce 
immunosuppression. This invention describes the use of a naturally 
occurring human hormone, human chronic gonadotropin, for the treatment 
of Kaposis sarcoma. Human chorionic gonadotropin may also be useful for 
the treatment of breast, prostate, ovary, and stomach carcinomas, as 
well as neuroblastomas. (portfolio: Infectious Diseases--Therapeutics, 
anti-virals, AIDS; Cancer--Therapeutics, conventional chemotherapy, 
hormonal compounds)

Therapeutic Polyamines

HS Basu, LJ Marton, BG Feuerstein, K Samejima (University of 
California; Josai University; NCI), Filed 05 Nov. 93, Serial No. 08/
147,527

    Most previous attempts to retard the growth of tumor cells by 
depleting the intracellular polyamine pool have been directed at 
inhibiting enzymes in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway; a process 
that does not completely deplete endogenous stores of these molecules. 
To date, most attempts at using polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors have 
resulted in incomplete inhibition of cell growth. With this invention, 
analogs have been developed that, while binding physically to DNA, do 
not function like natural polyamines and indeed case almost complete 
depletion of intracellular stores of these compounds. These compounds 
have shown great promise in vitro and in vivo against various tumors. 
Additionally, these synthetic polyamines have proven to be tumor 
sensitizers in conjunction with other conventional chemotherapeutices 
in vivo. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, conventional chemotherapy, 
other)

Topoisomerase II Inhibitors And Therapeutic Uses Therefor

Y Pommier, T MacDonald, JS Madalengoitia (NCI), Filed 23 Oct 92, Serial 
No. 07/965,922 CIP of 07/868,408)

    DNA topology is maintained in all cells by the action of a class of 
enzymes termed topoisomerases. Many drugs used in cancer chemotherapy 
function by inhibiting the action of topoisomerases. This invention 
embodies a compound, azatoxin, which is a inhibitor of both 
topoisomerase II and tubulin polymerization. Azatoxin is unique 
compared to other topoisomerase inhibitors in that it inhibits the 
catalytic activity of the enzyme at specific sites of DNA. Certain 
derivatives of azatoxin are capable of inhibiting either topoisomerase 
activity or tubulin polymerization but not both. Therefore these 
derivatives are expected to be especially potent therapeutic compounds. 
(portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, conventional chemotherapy, 
antimetabolites)

    Dated: August 6, 1996.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 96-20943 Filed 8-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M