[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 20 (Monday, February 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4884-4885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2245]


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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 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.

Novel Human Cancer Antigen, NY ESO-1/CAG-3, and Gene Encoding Same

R Wang, SA Rosenberg (NCI)
DHHS Reference No. E-265-97/1 filed 21 Sep 98
Licensing Contact: Elaine Gese; 301/496-7056 ext. 282; e-mail: 
[email protected]

    The current invention embodies the identification, isolation and 
cloning of a gene encoding a novel tumor antigen, NY ESO-1/CAG-3, as 
well as cancer peptides thereof an antigenic cancer epitopes contained 
within the cancer peptides. This novel antigen is recognized by 
cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones derived from the TIL586 (tumor 
infiltrating lymphocyte) cell line in an HLA restricted manner.
    The inventors believe that cancer peptides which are encoded by the 
NY ESO-1/CAG-3 gene represent potential cancer vaccines, protecting an 
individual from development of cancer by inhibiting the growth of cells 
or tumors which express the NY ESO-1/CAG-3 antigen. Also embodied in 
the invention are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the NY ESO-1/
CAG-3 antigen, peptide, or an antigenic cancer epitope thereof in 
combination with one or more immunostimulatory molecules. These 
compositions represent potential anticancer therapeutics, stimulating 
NY ESO-1/CAG-3-specific T cells to elicit an anti-cancer immunogenic 
response and thereby eliminating or reducing the cancer. While these 
vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions may be developed for use 
against a variety of cancers, data obtained to date indicate that they 
may be of particular value for use against melanoma.
    Methods for diagnosing cancer via the detection of NY ESO-1/CAG-3 
are also embodied in the invention.

Mouse Models for Huntington's Disease

D. Tagle (NHGRI)
DHHS Reference No. E-101-98/0
Licensing Contact: Marlene Shinn; 301/496-7056 ext. 285; e-mail: 
[email protected]


[[Page 4885]]


    Huntington's Disease (HD) is one of a number of neurological 
diseases in which excessive repetition of the CAG nucleotide sequence, 
which codes for glutamines, causes an abnormally shaped HD protein. 
This protein then interacts with other proteins produced by the cell 
thus preventing their normal functions. HD afflicts 1 in every 10,000 
individuals in the United States, however HD's pathogenesis and 
mechanistic action is relevant to at least 13 other neurodegenerative 
diseases.
    The mouse lines which are available for licensing show progressive 
neurobehavioral and neuropathological changes that resemble clinical 
findings found in HD patients. These include behavior such as running 
in circles, performing backflips and other abnormal movements which 
correlate with the loss of neurons in the striatum, cortex, and other 
brain regions. The transgenic mice have been genetically engineered to 
show widespread expression of full length human HD cDNA with either 16, 
48, or 89 CAG repeats. It is the mice containing the 48 or 89 CAG 
repeats which manifest the HD symptoms, the other modified mice are 
useful as controls. The mouse lines are able to model the early events 
that occur in Huntington's Disease and how these events ultimately 
result in neurological cell death. The utility of these mouse lines can 
be found in screening potential pharmaceutical treatments for HD and 
other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as testing therapies, 
including those used to assist neuronal survival.

Inhibition of T-Type Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels by a New 
Scorpion Toxin

K Swartz, H Jaffe (NINDS)
Serial No. 60/101,158 filed 21 Aug 98 Licensing Contact: Marlene Shinn, 
301/496-7056 ext. 285; e-mail: [email protected]

    The T-Type calcium channel is found in neurons, cardiac and 
vascular smooth muscle and is thought to be important for generative 
specific patterns of electrical activity. We have identified, isolated, 
and determined the chemical composition of an inhibitor (named 
Kurtoxin-1) of the T-type calcium channel. Kurtoxin-1 (or drugs 
developed using it as a probe) may be useful therapeutic reagents to 
control heart rate (e.g., antiarrhythmic drugs), vascular smooth muscle 
tone (e.g., controlling blood pressure) or epileptic discharges in the 
central nervous system. T-type calcium channels may also be important 
for transmission of pain stimuli and therefore inhibitors of these 
channels may have analgestic properties.
    Kurtoxin is from the venom of the Parabuthus transvaalicus 
scorpion. It binds to the 1G T-type Ca2+ 
channel with high affinity and inhibits the channel by modifying 
voltage-dependent gating. The biophysical properties of T-type voltage-
gated Ca2+ channels make them well suited to serve important 
pacemaking roles, and to support c flux near the resting membrane 
potential in both excitable and non-excitable cells. Until now, no 
selective high affinity ligands were available for T-type 
Ca2+ channels. Kurtoxin distinguishes between the 
1G T-type Ca2+ channels and other types 
of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, such as 
1E, 1C, 1B 
and 1A. Its primary amino acid sequence indicates 
it belongs to a family of 1/1-scorpion toxins that slow inactivation of 
Na+ channels. It is foreseen that kurtoxin will facilitate 
characterization of the molecular composition of T-type Ca2+ 
channels and will help delineate their involvement in electrical and 
biochemical signaling.

Composition and Methods for Identifying and Testing Tyrosine Kinase 
Substrates and Their Agonists and Antagonists

LE Samelson, W Zhang (NICHD)
Serial No. 60/068,690 filed 23 Dec 97
Licensing Contact: Susan S. Rucker; 301/496-7056 ext. 245; e-mail: 
[email protected]

    This application relates to T cell receptors (TCRs) and TCR 
mediated signal transduction. More particularly, the application 
describes the isolation, purification and cloning of an integral 
membrane protein, Linker for Activation of T cells (LAT), a tyrosine 
kinase substrate for ZAP-70/Syk protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs). LAT is 
phosphorylated by ZAP-70/Syk and this phosphorylation is necessary for 
the recruitment of multiple signaling molecules, such as Grb2, PLC-
1, the p85 subunit of PI3K and other critical signaling 
molecules. Thus, LAT plays a role in linking the TCR to cellular 
activation. Tissues which express LAT are limited to the thymus, 
peripheral blood, and at low levels, the spleen. Cells, found in these 
tissues, which express LAT and T cells, NK cells and mast cells. In 
addition recent work has also demonstrated that LAT is expressed in 
megakarocytes. B cells and monocytes do not express LAT. This pattern 
of expression and its role in cell signaling suggest that LAT may be a 
specific target for the development of drugs for allergy and other T 
cell associated diseases. Such drugs may include antibodies which 
recognize LAT and inhibit its action.
    In addition to the isolation, purification and cloning of LAT the 
application describes antibodies which specifically recognize LAT. 
Recent work has shown that LAT is palmitoylated and this palmitoylated 
LAT localizes to glycolipid-enriched microdomains (GEMs). The 
palmitoylation of LAT is necessary for the tyrosine phosporylation of 
LAT and for the targeting of LAT to the GEMs. Other recent work 
includes the generation of LAT knockout mice.
    This research has been published in Cell 92(1): 83-92 (Jan 9, 1998) 
and Immunity 9(2): 239-46 (Aug 1998).

Probe To Identify Enteroinvasive E. coli and Shigella Species

KA Lampel, JA Jagow (FDA)
Serial No. 07/266,038 filed 02 Nov 88; U.S. Patent 5,041,372 issued 20 
Aug 91
Licensing Contact: Carol Salata, 301/496-7735 ext. 232; e-mail: 
[email protected]

    Standard means for detecting pathogenic organisms in food or 
clinical specimens rely on animals or large DNA fragments, such as the 
17 kb EcoRI fragment of Boileau. These methods are expensive, time-
consuming, difficult to use, and have not been able to distinguish 
between nonvirulent enteroinvasive E. coli and Shigella. This invention 
described DNA probes for enteroinvasive E. coli and Shigella species, 
including the sequence of the 2.5 kb fragment (SmaII and Falkow's) on 
which the probe is based.
    The probe is more reliable, more sensitive, and less expensive than 
methods now is use.

    Dated: January 25, 1999.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 99-2245 Filed 1-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M