[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 227 (Friday, November 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59453-59454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29893]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, DHHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency 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.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information and a copy of the U.S. patent 
applications referenced below may be obtained by contacting Joseph 
Contrera, M.S., J.D., at the Office of Technology Transfer, National 
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852-3804 (telephone 301/496-7056 ext 244; fax 301/402-0220). 
A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive 
a copy of the patent applications.

A Novel Vector for Polynucleotide Vaccines

EL Nelson, PJ Nelson (NCI)
Serial No. 60/023,931 filed 14 Aug 96

    This invention is directed to a ``humanized'' polynucleotide vector 
vaccine which uses covalent closed circular (CCC) plasmid DNA, ``naked 
DNA,'' to express target antigens. The vector contains the necessary 
elements to express mRNA for a target antigen. The plasmids are non-
replicating but are capable of extended stable expression of the target 
sequences in skeletal muscle and professional antigen presenting cells 
generating an immune response to the target antigen in immunized 
individuals. The polynucleotide vector is particularly useful in 
accommodating monomorphic and polymorphic tumor antigens via PCR 
technology. This invention could be useful in constructing 
polynucleotide vector cancer vaccines or ``naked DNA'' vaccines 
containing one or more tumor antigens.

Heterologous Boosting Immunizations for the Generation of CTL and 
Anti-Tumor Responses

RS Chamberlain, KR Irvine, SA Rosenberg, NP Restifo (NCI)
Serial No. 60/015,893 filed 22 Apr 96

    A number of recombinant and synthetic vectors expressing tumor 
associated antigens have been developed which each induce powerful 
cellular and humoral immune responses that correlated with anti-tumor 
immunity in murine tumor model systems. Examples of these vectors 
include (1) recombinant viruses, such as vaccinia, fowlpox and 
adenovirus, (2) recombinant plasmid DNA, and (3) minimal determinant 
peptides. This invention involves the use of more than one of these 
vectors expressing a particular antigen for priming and boosting 
immunization regimens with the goal of enhancing anti-tumor immunity. 
Boosting with heterologous vectors induced more powerful primary 
antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses than boosting with 
the same vector. These more powerful immune responses induced by 
subsequent immunization with a different vector than the priming agent 
also resulted in a significant prolongation in survival of tumor-
bearing mice as compared to mice that received two vaccinations with 
the same vector. Specifically, the combinations that were most 
efficacious were recombinant vaccinia virus followed by recombinant 
fowlpox and vice versa and recombinant DNA immunization followed by 
either recombinant fowlpox or vaccinia virus and vice versa.
    The invention is significant because these heterologous boosting 
strategies may provide for increased therapeutic potential in the 
design and development of immunotherapies for cancer treatment. This 
approach may also be useful in the development of treatments for 
infectious bacterial and viral disease.

Point Mutated ras Peptides for the Generation of CD8+ Cytotoxic T 
Lymphocytes

J. Schlom, S Abrams (NCI)
Serial No. 08/635,344 filed 19 Apr 96
    This invention is directed to a method of inducing a cytotoxic T 
cell response where the cytotoxic T cells are CD8+ T cells. The 
CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response is induced by peptides which 
contain a mutation in the K-ras oncogene at codon 12. The invention 
discloses 13 mer K-ras peptides spanning position 5-17 of the K-ras 
gene and which contain a mutation at codon 12. In addition, 9 mer and 
10 mer K-ras peptides are also described in

[[Page 59454]]

which they both span codon 12 and in which codon 12 is mutated. This 
invention could be useful in cancer vaccines and adoptive 
immunotherapy.

    Dated: November 13, 1996.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 96-29893 Filed 11-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M