[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 168 (Thursday, August 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55409-55410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-22077]


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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.

Scytovirins and Related Conjugates, Antibodies, Compositions, Nucleic 
Acids, Vectors, Host Cells, Methods of Production and Methods of Using 
Scytovirin

Michael R. Boyd, Barry R. O'Keefe, and Tawnya C. McKee, Molecular 
Targets Drug Discovery Program (MTDDP, NCI-Frederick) and Heidi R. 
Bokesch (SAIC-Frederick); DHHS Reference No. E-017-02/0 filed May 16 
2002.
Licensing Contact: Sally Hu; 301/496-7056 ext. 265; e-mail: 
[email protected].

    This invention provides: (1) Isolated and purified antiviral 
peptides or antiviral proteins named Scytovirins isolated and purified 
from aqueous extracts derived from the cyanobacteria, Scytonema varium; 
(2) an antibody which binds an epitope of Scytovirin isolated and 
purified from Scytonema varium; (3) a purified nucleic acid molecule 
that comprises a sequence which encodes an amino acid sequence 
homologous to Scytovirin; (4) a vector comprising the isolated and 
purified nucleic acid molecule and a host cell or organism comprising 
the vector; (5) a conjugate comprising the peptide and an effector 
component; and (6) a method of inhibiting prophylactically and 
therapeutically a viral infection. Thus, this invention may represent 
potential new therapeutics for treatment of retroviral infections, 
including AIDS.

Methods and Compositions for the Promotion of Hair Growth Utilizing 
Actin-Binding Peptides

Deborah Philp, Ph.D., Michael Elkin, Ph.D., and Hynda K. Kleinman, 
Ph.D. (NIDCR); DHHS Reference No. E-053-02/0 filed January 25, 2002.
Licensing Contact: Jonathan Dixon; 301/496-7056 ext. 270; e-mail: 
[email protected].

    Hair loss (alopecia) is a condition that afflicts millions of men 
and women. Countless therapies and concoctions have been devised to 
battle the effects of receding hairlines. None of these are universally 
effective, and many have met with, at best, dubious success.
    The present invention provides the basis for the development of a 
safe and effective treatment for hair loss. It describes the novel use 
of naturally occurring, actin-binding, peptides to activate hair 
follicles. In animal studies, topical application of such peptides 
increased the number of active hair follicles at least two-fold. After 
application three times a week, new hair growth was observed as early 
as on day 7, and was retained with additional applications. This 
invention may lead to a treatment for a condition that affects a large 
percentage of the population.

Stem Cells that Transform to Beating Cardiomyocytes

Neal D. Epstein (NHLBI); DHHS Reference No. E-329-01/0 filed October 
22, 2001.
Licensing Contact: Fatima Sayyid; 301/496-7056 ext. 243; e-mail: 
[email protected].

    Many Americans die each year of congestive heart failure occurring 
from a variety of causes including cardiomyopathy, myocardial ischemia, 
congenital heart disease and valvular heart disease resulting in 
cardiac cell death and myocardial dysfunction. As cardiomyocytes are 
not replaced in adult myocardial tissue, physiologic demands on 
existing, healthy cardiomyocytes leads to their hypertrophy. Heart 
transplants have been the only recourse for patients in end-stage heart 
disease however this is complicated by lack of donors, tissue 
incompatibility and high cost.
    An alternative approach to heart transplantation is to generate 
cardiomyocytes from stem cells in vitro that can be used in the 
treatment of cardiac diseases characterized by myocardial cell death or 
dysfunction.
    This invention discloses a novel isolated population of stem cells, 
called

[[Page 55410]]

spoc cells, that can be induced, either in vivo or in vitro, to 
differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Spoc cells may be differentiated and 
utilized for screening agents that affect cardiomyocytes and as 
therapeutic agents in the treatment of myocardial defects.

Maxp1

Geoffrey J. Clark, Michelle Vos (NCI); DHHS Reference No. E-165-01/0 
filed September 19, 2001.
Licensing Contact: Matthew Kiser; 301/496-7056 ext. 224; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    The subject invention is directed to the cDNA sequence and the 
deduced amino acid sequence of the human Maxp1 gene. Maxp1 is 
frequently down-regulated in primary human tumors. Accordingly, a 
vector comprising the cDNA sequence, a host cell comprising such a 
vector, a method of using the vector, such as one comprising a cDNA 
sequence in which the C-terminal Ras binding site has been mutated or 
deleted, or the polypeptide (or fragment thereof, such as one in which 
the C-terminal Ras binding site has been mutated or deleted) in the 
prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of cancer, a method of assaying 
small molecules for the ability to stimulate Maxp1 growth inhibitory 
function in cancer cells that remain positive for Maxp1 expression, and 
the assessment of the levels of Maxp1 mRNA or protein in the diagnosis, 
characterization and prognosis of cancer are additional, non-limiting 
embodiments of the invention.
    Further embodiments include: (a) Diagnosis and prediction of tumor 
characteristics, (b) gene therapy to restore Nore1/Maxp1 function in 
tumor cells which have lost protein expression, (c) the use of small 
molecules to simulate Nore1/Maxp1 growth inhibitory function in tumor 
cells which remain positive for Nore1/Maxp1 expression, (d) the use of 
protein fragments/small molecules based on Nore1/Maxp1 structure to 
bind and inhibit the function of mutant Ras oncoproteins, and (e) a 
specific polyclonal antibody that works in westerns and in 
immunohistochemistry.

    Dated: August 22, 2002.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-22077 Filed 8-28-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P