[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 51 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13058-13059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6892]


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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 contacting Elaine Gese, 
M.B.A., Technology Licensing Specialist, Office of Technology Transfer, 
National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7056 ext. 282; fax: 
301/402-0220; e-mail: [email protected]. A signed Confidential Disclosure 
Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent 
applications. Information on additional chemokine receptor technologies 
is also available.

STRL33, A Human Fusion Accessory Factor Associated With HIV 
Infection

J Farber, F Liao, G Alkhatib, EA Berger (NIAID)

DHHS Reference No. E-087-97/0 filed 31 Mar 97

    STRL33 is a seven transmembrane domain G protein coupled receptor 
which appears to be a novel chemokine receptor-like protein functioning 
as a fusion cofactor for both macrophage-tropic and T cell-trophic HIV-
1. Cells expressing STRL33 along with CD4 are capable of fusing with 
cells expressing the envelope glycoprotein (env) of M-tropic and T-
trophic HIV-1 variants, thereby mediating fusion with a wider range of 
variants than other cofactors identified to date. As the STRL33 protein 
appears to be directly related to the development of HIV infection and 
progression to AIDS, agents which are capable of blocking the STRL33 
receptor may represent valuable tools for use in the prevention or 
treatment of HIV-1/AIDS. Polynucleotides and polypeptides are provided 
by the invention.

[[Page 13059]]

Therapeutic approaches and pharmaceutical compositions are claimed, as 
are research uses, and are available for licensing.

Delayed Progression to AIDS by a Missense Allele of the CCR2 Gene

M Dean, SJ O'Brien, M Carrington, MW Smith (NCI)

DHHS Reference No. E-209-97/0 filed 14 Aug 97

    A specific variant of chemokine receptor CCR2, which appears to be 
a co-receptor for HIV-1, has been identified. This variant, CCR2-64I, 
is associated with delayed progression to AIDS in individuals infected 
with HIV-1, and is the result of a conservative amino acid substitution 
within the first transmembrane receptor region of CCR2. CCR2-64I is 
independent of but additive with CCR5-d32, an allele of chemokine 
receptor CCR5 which is also associated with delayed progression to 
AIDS. Together, these two polymorphisms are present in nearly 40% of 
individuals in all ethnic groups; CCR2-64I alone occurs at an allele 
frequency of 10-29% in all ethnic groups. Polynucleotides and 
polypeptides are provided by the invention. Therapeutic approaches and 
pharmaceutical compositions are claimed, as are research uses, 
diagnostic uses, and screening methods.

CC Chemokine Receptor 8 DNA, New Animal Models And Therapeutic 
Agents For HIV Infection

HL Tiffany, PM Murphy, G Alkhatib, EA Berger (NIAID)

DHHS Reference No. E-220-97/0 filed 29 July 97

    CCR8, a known chemokine receptor, has now been shown to serve as a 
co-receptor for HIV-1. This receptor, a seven transmembrane region G 
protein coupled receptor, binds chemokine I-309, which is a potent 
monocyte attractant and is capable of inhibiting apoptosis in thymic 
cell lines. CCR8 is expressed in both monocytes and thymus, and is 
encoded by a gene of previously unknown function. Polynucleotides and 
polypeptides are provided by the invention. Therapeutic approaches and 
pharmaceutical compositions are claimed, as are research uses.

Functional Promoter For CCR5

F Guignard (NIAID)

DHHS Reference No. E-222-97/0

    Embodied in this invention is the identification of the functional 
promoter sequence for CCR5. CCR5 is a known chemokine receptor which 
functions as a cofactor for HIV binding and is found on the cell 
surface of macrophages and CD4+ T cells. Blocking or suppressing the 
expression of CCR5 may therefore serve to inhibit HIV infection. It is 
postulated that this could be accomplished by inhibiting the CCR5 
promoter or by administering an oligonucleotide analog of the promoter, 
thereby treating or preventing HIV infection. Polynucleotide sequences 
are provided by the invention. Therapeutic approaches and 
pharmaceutical compositions are claimed, as are research uses.

CCR1 Knockout Mouse

J-L Gao, PM Murphy (NIAID)

DHHS Reference No. E-234-97/0

    Embodied in this invention is a CC chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) 
knockout mouse, which has been made deficient (-/-) by targeted gene 
disruption. CCR1 normally binds chemokines MIP-1a and RANTES. The 
inventors have already used these knockout mice to identify a number of 
biological functions for CCR1, which are described in Gao et al., The 
Journal of Experimental Medicine 185(11): 1959-1968, June 1997. The 
mice are available for licensing via a Biological Materials License, 
and numerous research uses are anticipated.

    Dated: March 9, 1998.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 98-6892 Filed 3-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M