[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2893-2894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-1439]


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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 contacting Marlene Shinn, 
J.D., at the Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-
3804; telephone: 301/496-7056 ext. 285; fax: 301/402-0220; e-mail: 
[email protected]. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be 
required to receive copies of the patent applications.

Thermostable DNA Polymerases that Bypass Lesions in DNA

Dr. Roger Woodgate (NICHD) and Dr. Francois Boudsocq (NICHD)
DHHS Reference No. E-232-01/0--Research tool

    Lesions in DNA often block DNA polymerases, especially in those 
polymerases used in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Old DNA, such 
as that from forensic samples, is often damaged and cannot be used for 
PCR analysis.
    The NIH announces the identification of two novel Y-family DNA 
polymerases--called Dbh and Dpo4--from the archea Sulfolobus 
solfactaricus P1 and Sulfolobus solfactaricus P2, respectively. The Y 
family of polymerases are characterized by their ability to replicate 
through DNA lesions that may block the activity of other, more 
conventional, polymerases such as the thermostable enzymes used in PCR. 
Both Dbh and Dpo4 enzymes have been shown to be as thermostable as the 
Taq polymerase (Dpo4, in particular) and can copy stretches of DNA up 
to 1300 bp in length. Because these polymerases are in general more 
efficient at coping with DNA lesions, they may be useful in the 
amplification of damaged DNA and could be useful in forensic PCR 
applications.

A Novel Human DNA Polymerase, POL IOTA, Involved in DNA Repair and 
Mutagenesis

Drs. Roger Woodgate and John McDonald (NICHD)
DHHS Reference No. E-229-01/0--Research tool

    The NIH announces the identification of a novel DNA polymerase 
called POL IOTA, that is highly error prone and

[[Page 2894]]

may be responsible for causing mutations that ultimately lead to human 
cancer formation.
    The polymerase could be useful as a target for chemotherapeutic 
agents that block the polymerase's enzyme activity. This in turn could 
lead to an increase in the cure rate of cancer patients. In addition, a 
diagnostic assay could be developed to identify enzyme expression 
patterns and their mutations, so as to recognize humans with an 
increased risk of cancers. Therefore, the polymerase could be used as a 
research tool, or with more development, into a kit that could be used 
in both research and clinical labs.

TMC1 and TMC2 and Applications to Hereditary Deafness

Dr. Andrew Griffith et al. (NIDCD)
DHHS Reference No. E-168-01/0 filed 19 Sep 2001

    Hearing loss is a common communication disorder effecting nearly 1 
in 1,000 children in the United States alone, and nearly 50% of adults 
by the age of eighty. Deafness can be caused by both environmental and 
disease-related factors, however, in at least 50% of the cases, 
deafness is an inherited trait.
    The NIH announces the isolation and purification of two novel genes 
termed TMC1 and TMC2 that may encode the mammalian hair cell 
mechanotransduction channel. It is known that the mechanotransduction 
channel is the critical molecule within the hearing pathway, which 
detects sound within the inner ear. Our investigators have discovered 
that dominant and recessive mutations in TMC1 underlie two forms of 
hereditary deafness known as DFNA36 and DFNB7/11, respectively. This 
technology would be useful to a company interested in finding new 
therapies to treat or prevent hearing loss as well as identifying 
persons at increased risk of developing aminoglycoside-induced hearing 
loss. This technology is also available for collaboration with a 
partner under a Cooperative Research and Development Award.

Gene Involved in Dietary Sterol Absorption and Excretion and Uses 
Therefor

Drs. Michael Dean and Shailendra Patel (NCI)
DHHS Reference No. E-295-99/1 filed 25 Sep 2001 (PCT/US01/29859)

    The ATP binding cassette proteins are involved in cholesterol 
regulation. Cholesterol absorption from the diet is an important 
mechanism for regulating serum cholesterol levels. It is well known 
that high serum cholesterol levels are found in several diseases such 
as diabetes, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease.
    The NIH announces the identification and characterization of the 
ABCG5 gene. The gene maps to human chromosome 2, which has been 
identified as playing a role in the genetic disorder sitosterolemia. 
Patients with sitosterolemia display an abnormally high level of blood 
sterol debri from plants and fish, which can lead to coronary artery 
disease, atherosclerosis, and arthritis, as well as other diseases. The 
inventors believe that mutations in the ABCG5 gene interfere with 
sterol transport thereby causing sitosterolemia. Companies working in 
this area would find this technology useful in searching for agents 
that can treat or prevent any disease or condition that has associated 
with it high cholesterol levels.

    Dated: January 11, 2002.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-1439 Filed 1-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P