[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 208 (Friday, October 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 54267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27026]


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

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 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.

Macromolecular Imaging Agents for Liver Imaging

Martin W. Brechbiel (NCI) and Hisataka Kobayashi (EM)

[DHHS Reference No. E-240-01/0 filed 25 June 2001]

    Licensing Contact: Dale Berkley; 301/496-7735 ext. 223; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    The invention is a macromolecular imaging agent comprising a 
polyalkylenimine dendrimer conjugated to a metal chelate that has been 
shown to be an excellent agent for imaging liver micrometastases as 
small as about 0.3 mm in a magnetic resonance image of the human liver. 
In a particular embodiment, the imaging agent is a diaminobutane-core 
polypropylenimine dendrimer having surface amino groups conjugated to 
gadolinium metal chelates. The invention makes possible the earlier 
detection of metastatic disease, leading to earlier application of a 
therapeutic regime and an improved prognosis.

Nucleic Acid and Amino Acid Sequences of Hemoglobin-Response Genes 
in Candida albicans and the Use of Reagents Derived from these 
Sequences in the Diagnosis of Disseminated Candida albicans 
Infections

David D. Roberts, Sizhuang Yan (NCI)

[Serial No. 09/258,634 filed 26 Feb 1999]

    Licensing Contact: Uri Reichman; 301/496-7736 ext. 240; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    This invention relates to diagnostic methods and kits for the 
detection of disseminated candidiasis. Candida albicans (C. albicans) 
is the most common pathogen involved in fungal infections in 
immunocompromised individuals, including AIDS, cancer patients, and 
organ transplant recipients. Systemic candidiasis is life-threatening 
in immunosuppressed patients and candidemia results in high morbidity 
and mortality. Within the last decade candidemia has increased ten-fold 
and is the third most common cause of positive blood cultures according 
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accurate diagnosis 
of C. albicans and adequate treatment are of a great importance as 
disseminated infections are prevalent in hospitalized populations. 
However, a rapid and accurate diagnostic test for candidemia is not yet 
available. The traditional fungal culture is cumbersome and time 
consuming. Existing diagnostic kits based on serological ELISA tests 
detect antibodies against Candida cytoplasmic proteins but cannot 
differentiate between past and present infections. Diagnostic tests 
based on the present invention will be more accurate and will provide 
additional information related to the current status of hospitalized 
patients. The invention is based on the identification of three novel 
genes of C. albicans, which are expressed in the presence of 
hemoglobin. The expression and detection of these genes in patients 
would indicate disseminated candidiasis and is highly specific for C. 
albicans infection.

    Dated: October 17, 2001.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 01-27026 Filed 10-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P