[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 5563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2561]


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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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SUMMARY: 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 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 the indicated 
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National 
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057; fax: 301/402-0220. A 
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive 
copies of the patent applications.

Pseudomonas Exotoxin A-Like Chimeric Immunogens

David J. Fitzgerald (NCI)
Serial No. 60.052,375 filed 11 Jul 97 (Assignee: United States 
Government)
Licensing Contact: Robert Benson, 301/496-7056 ext. 267

    This invention concerns a recombinantly made chimeric immunogen 
comprising a non-toxic version of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) in which 
the Ib domain is replaced with a non-native epitope. This immunogen can 
be used as a vaccine, either as a protein or as DNA, and can elicit 
humoral, cell-medicated and secretory immune responses against the non-
native epitope. The non-native epitope fits into the cysteine-cysteine 
loop of the Ib domain, thus epitopes normally part of a loop are held 
in their natural conformation. Chimeric immunogens comprising the V3 
loop of the HIV-1 env protein have been shown to raise, in rabbits, 
neutralizing antibodies against clinical isolates of HIV, some cross-
protection was seen. Anti-V3 IgA antibodies were raised upon mucosal 
administration. The claims cover: (a) Chimeric immunogens, (b) nucleic 
acids encoding chimeric immunogens, (c) antibodies raised against 
chimeric immunogens, (d) vaccines and methods of immunization.

Pseudomonas Exotoxin A-Like Chimeric Immunogens for Mucosal Immunity

David J. Fitzgerald (NCI) and Randall J. Mrsny (Genentech Corp.)
Serial No. 60/056,924 filed 11 Jul 97 (Assignees: United States 
Government and Genentech Corporation)
Licensing Contact: Robert Benson, 301/496-7056 ext. 267

    This invention claims the use of the chimeric immunogens claimed in 
60/052,375 to elicit a secretory IgA-medicated immune response. The 
inventors have shown that parenteral and mucosal administration of the 
HIV V3 loop/Exotoxin A chimeric immunogen to rabbits raises both a 
humoral and cell-medicated immune response against HIV. Both parenteral 
and mucosal administration result in IgG and IgA antibodies being 
raised, mucosal administration resulted in higher IgA production. 
Compositions comprising secretory IgA reactive with the non-native 
epitope are also claimed.

Pin*Point--A Method To Determine Transcription Factor Binding Site In 
Vivo

Jay Chung (NHLBI)
Serial Nos. 08/826,622 and 08/825,664 filed 03 Apr 97
Licensing Contact: Joseph Contrera, 301/496-7056 ext. 244

    Transcription factors play central roles in many disease processes: 
cancer, AIDS, developmental aberrations, aging and obesity, just to 
name a few. Therefore, understanding these disease processes and 
finding cures for them will be greatly assisted by the capability to 
determine the genes targeted by the transcription factors in vivo. 
Toward this end, we have designed an in vivo method PIN*POINT) ProteIN 
POsition Identification with Nuclease Tail). In this method, a fusion 
protein composed of a chosen protein linked to a non-sequence specific 
nuclease is expressed in vivo and the binding of the protein to DNA is 
made detectable by the nuclease-induced cleavage near the binding site. 
For example, p53-nuclease fusion protein expressed in vivo will bind to 
the p53 binding site and mark it by cleaving the DNA near it. The 
cleavage site can be identified by a number of techniques currently 
available. A mammalian expression vector designed to express a fusion 
protein consisting of a polypeptide of one's choice and the nuclease is 
available as are expression vectors for Sp1 nuclease, TBP (TATA binding 
protein)-nuclease (for identifying promoters of genes) and other 
transcription factors. PIN*POINT is described in a paper soon to be 
published by Lee et al., (1998) PNAS 95, 060-974.

    Dated: January 23, 1998.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 98-2561 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M