[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43407-43408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21649]


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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, Public Health Service, DHHS.

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 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.

Methods and Compositions for DRM, A Protein with Cell Cycle 
Regulating Activity

    DG Blair, PA Clausen, LZ Topol, M Marx, G Calothy.
    Serial No. 60/079,440 filed 26 Mar 98.
    Licensing Contact: Joseph Hemby, 301/496-7735 ext. 265.
    A novel gene, DRM, has been identified whose regulation and 
function are linked to the cell cycle and whose over expression as a 
fusion with Green Flourescent Protein (GFP) induces cell arrest at the 
G1/S cell cycle boundary. The expression of DRM is down regulated 
rapidly in transformed cells, but is highly expressed in certain 
normal, highly-differentiated cells of the brain, lung and colon. This 
novel gene may hold promise as (1) a new, early marker for cells about 
to transform, (2) a means for targeted cancer therapy, (3) a protective 
agent during chemotherapy, and (4) as a tool for in vitro or in vivo 
cell assays. The stabilized fluorescence of the fusion protein of DRM 
with GFP may be used in diagnostic assays or for basic research.

Tumor Tissue Microarrays For Rapid Molecular Profiling.

    J Kononen (NHGRI), SB Leighton (NCRR), O Kallioniemi (NHGRI).
    Serial No. 60/075,979 filed 25 Feb 98.
    Licensing Contact: John Fahner-Vihtelic, 301/496-7735 ext. 270.
    The present application describes a laboratory instrument which 
procures tiny (< 1 mm) core samples of biological tissue from 
characteristic regions of interest in paraffin embedded biological 
tissue blocks. The core samples are placed in a regular array in a new 
paraffin block creating a tissue array of thousands of selected samples 
for analysis. This new array block may now be sectioned, creating up to 
200 nearly identical slides each containing tiny discs of the original 
specimens. These slides can be used as starting material for molecular 
screening, such as for DNA and RNA in situ hybridization as well as 
immunohistological staining. With this new invention, investigators are 
provided with a way to construct a tissue array consisting of a much 
higher number of tissue specimens than previously possible. Also, this 
new device automates the process of creating arrays and eliminates 
tedious hand operations while avoiding the prior art problem of 
extensive damage to the donor blocks. Feasibility of this method and 
apparatus has been proven and an automated version of the original 
system is in development. This research has

[[Page 43408]]

been published in Nature Medicine 1998 Jul 4(7): 844-847.

Inhibition of Ige-Mediated Allergies By A Human Ige-Derived 
Oligopeptide

    EA Padlan, et al. (NIDDK).
    DHHS Reference No. E-233-95/1; PCT/US97/22348 filed 05 Dec 97.
    Licensing Contact: Stephen Finley, 301/496-7735 ext. 215.
    It is estimated that 40 million people have some form of allergy 
and 14.9 million people have asthma in the United States. This 
technology identifies a specific amino acid sequence of the IgE 
molecule that when conformationally constrained inhibits the release of 
histamine and resulting inflammatory symptoms associated with hay fever 
and asthma, typical in people suffering from Type I hypersensitivity. 
This type of response occurs when an allergen triggers B cells to 
produce allergen-specific IgE antibodies. When binding to receptors on 
mast cells, these antibodies trigger the release of histamine and the 
resulting inflammatory symptoms. However when the IgE molecule is 
conformationally constrained by the addition of a cys residue at the 
amino acid terminal end and three amino acids at the carboxyl terminal 
end, the immune response is inhibited. The invention has applications 
for both of these high prevalence chronic diseases and could possibly 
be utilized as a vaccine for treatment of these problems.

Method of Treating Cancer Using C-26-Modified Epibryostatin

    P Blumbert, Z Szallasi, GR Pettit (NCI).
    Serial No. 60/013,740 filed 20 Mar 96; PCT/US97/04515 filed 30 Mar 
97.
    Licensing Contact: Girish Barua, 301/496-7735 ext. 263.
    The invention relates to the use of 26-epibryostatin 1 and related 
compounds as cancer therapeutics. The compound is related to bryostatin 
1 which has shown promise against melanoma but which has significant 
toxicity. The inventors have discovered that the antineoplastic 
activity of the bryostatins in a melanoma model system is not mediated 
by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) as previously believed. This 
has led to the discovery of antineoplastic activity in the lead 
compound, which with its reduced binding affinity for PKC would not 
have been expected to show such activity. The combination of 
antineoplastic activity with reduced affinity for PKC, which would be 
expected to translate into reduced toxicity compared to bryostatin 1, 
could lead to a significant clinical advantage of 26-epibryostatin-1 
and analogues over bryostatin 1.

    Dated: July 31, 1998.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 98-21649 Filed 8-12-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M