[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 178 (Friday, September 13, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58060-58061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23334]


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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, HHS.

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

[[Page 58061]]

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: 301/594-7700; fax: 301/402-0220. A signed Confidential 
Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent 
applications.

Antiproliferative Actions of Human IGF Binding Protein-3 Mutants That 
Do Not Bind IGF-I or IGF-II

    M.M. Rechler (NIDDK), DHHS Reference No. E-048-02/0 filed Dec 17, 
2001.
    Licensing Contact: Brenda Hefti, 301/496-7736 ext. 206, e-mail: 
[email protected]; or Richard Rodriguez, 301/496-7056 ext. 287, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    Recent epidemiological studies indicate that increased serum 
insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is associated 
with decreased risk of prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers, 
and childhood leukemia. IGFBP-3 can inhibit cell growth and stimulate 
death through formation of complexes with IGF-I and IGF-II that prevent 
activation of the IGF-I receptor to stimulate proliferation and 
survival.
    The current invention embodies a novel mechanism of action for 
IGFBP-3: direct inhibition of cell growth and stimulation of cell death 
through a mechanism that is independent of IGF-I, IGF-II and the IGF-I 
receptor. In the current invention, human IGFBP-3 has been genetically 
modified so that its affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II is greatly reduced, 
and it can act only through this novel direct mechanism. These human 
IGFBP-3 mutants still can inhibit DNA synthesis and stimulate 
apoptosis, and have been shown to induce apoptosis in human prostate 
cancer cells. The current invention could selectively exert 
antiproliferative action without interfering with IGF actions, and may 
have therapeutic uses as an antitumor agent.

A Novel DNA Methyltransferase Assay System With High Throughput/
Automation Potential

    K. Robertson, T. Yokochi (NCI), DHHS Reference No. E-030-02/0 filed 
Jan 14, 2002.
    Licensing Contact: Brenda Hefti, 301/496-7736 ext. 206, e-mail: 
[email protected]; or Richard Rodriguez, 301/496-7056 ext. 287, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    It is now believed that unregulated cell growth is due to aberrant 
gene expression in cells caused by deletion, mutation, or silencing of 
one or more critical growth regulatory proteins. The latter method, 
gene silencing, is mediated by DNA methylation, or the addition of 
methyl groups to cytosine residues at critical gene expression control 
regions.
    The current invention embodies a novel and highly sensitive assay 
for detecting DNA methyltransferase activity, which catalyzes the 
addition of methyl groups to DNA. Treatment with DNA methyltransferase 
inhibitors in a clinical setting might lead to expression of silenced 
gene(s) and restoration of controlled cell growth. Huge numbers of 
compounds must be screened to identify ones that are active against DNA 
methyltransferases. The assay embodied in the current invention 
represents the first such assay adaptable for high-throughput and/or 
automated screening of potential DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. This 
assay also is fast, easy, reproducible, and highly sensitive.

HGC-1, A Gene Encoding a Member of the Olfactomedin-Related Protein 
Family

    Griffin P. Rodgers, Wen-Li Liu, Jiachang Zhang (NIDDK), DHHS 
Reference No. E-166-01/0 filed Dec 07, 2001.
    Licensing Contact: Brenda Hefti, 301/496-7736 ext. 206, e-mail: 
[email protected]; or Richard Rodriguez, 301/496-7056 ext. 287, e-mail: 
[email protected].
    The current technology embodies a newly identified gene, Human 
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor-Stimulated-Clone-1 (hGC-1), that 
has been cloned and characterized, and its protein sequence has been 
deduced. The gene is expressed in the bone marrow, prostate, small 
intestine, colon, and stomach, and has been mapped to chromosome 13 in 
a region that contains a tumor suppressor gene cluster. The gene is 
found to be selectively present in normal human myeloid lineage cells 
and is believed to play a role in allowing lymphocytes to differentiate 
properly. It is believed that the gene may be used as a selective 
marker for human prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, B-cell chronic 
lymphocytic leukemia and other types of cancer and can be used 
diagnostically as well as in therapeutic screening activities.

    Dated: September 3, 2002.
Jack Spiegel,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 02-23334 Filed 9-12-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P