[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46647-46648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22355]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[[Page 46648]]

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 Structures for Microengineering Neocartilage Scaffolds

Erik Petersen and Richard Spencer (NIA),
DHHS Reference No. E-175-01/0 filed 27 Apr 2001,

    Licensing Contact: Marlene Shinn; 301-496-7056 ext. 285; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Therapy for joint damage due to trauma, congenital abnormality, or 
osteoarthritis has in the past only been limited to the replacement of 
the joint with a prosthesis. Recently, autologous transplantation of 
chondrocytes has begun to be performed, however, there are several 
hurdles that have needed to be overcome, including problems with cell 
loss and heterogeneous development of tissue density.
    The NIH announces a new method of growing chondrocytes on a two-
dimensional surface patterned biocompatible scaffold. These scaffolds 
consist of creating uniform contoured surfaces using photolithographic 
methods and then covering the surface with a polysaccharide gel. The 
gel is then allowed to cure and then is removed from the template. 
Chondrocytes that have been isolated from explants are then applied to 
the surface and attach to the gel. Once attached, the cells create an 
extracellular matrix within the gel and layers of neocartilage are 
created within the square depressions. Functional tissue is thereby 
produced which can be used as grafts and/or implants in humans.

Agents Useful for Reducing Amyloid Precursor Protein and Treating 
Dementia and Methods of Use Thereof

Nigel H. Greig et al. (NIA),
Serial No. 60/245,329 filed 02 Nov 2000,

    Licensing Contact: Norbert Pontzer; 301/496-7736 ext. 284; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative 
condition leading to loss of memory and other cognitive functions. 
Alzheimer's disease is characterized pathologically by the appearance 
of senile plaques, primarily composed of amyloid  protein 
(A), and neurofibrillary tangles in the CNS. Treatments 
reducing potentially toxic A may thus prevent the occurrence 
and progression of Alzheimer's disease. As A is derived from 
the larger  amyloid precursor protein (APP), reducing 
the production of APP should provide a therapy for the 
treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
    The production of APP is regulated by cytokines, 
muscarinic receptors, and some cholinesterase inhibitors. The latter 
also have some utility in treating the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. 
The agents and methods disclosed and claimed in this patent application 
reduce the production of APP and A in vivo and in 
vitro without cholinergic side effects or other toxicity. The agents 
are structurally related to a known anti-cholinesterase agent in 
current clinical assessment, but are devoid of anticholinesterase 
activity and associated side effects. They likely act on a recently 
described translational regulatory element on APP mRNA. 
Further information as to how these agents effect APP 
processing can be found in the Proceedings of the National Academy of 
Sciences, Volume 98(13), Pages 7605-7610, June 19, 2001.

    Dated: August 29, 2001.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology, Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 01-22355 Filed 9-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P