[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 14 (Thursday, January 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3156-3157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1259]


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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 an agency 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.

Codon-Optimization of the HIV-1 Vif Gene

    Klaus Strebel, Stephan Bour, Kim-Lien Nguyen (NIAID); DHHS 
Reference No. E-041-2004/0--Research Tool/Biological Material; 
Licensing Contact: Michael Ambrose; 301/594-6565; 
[email protected].
    Expression of the HIV-1 Vif protein in the absence of other viral 
factors such a Tat and Rev is extremely inefficient due to the presence 
of inhibitory sequences on its mRNA. This invention uses codon 
optimization to remove such inhibitory sequences without altering the 
amino acid sequence of the protein. The modified vif gene in the 
resulting pcDNA -hVIF vector is expressed under the control of the CMV 
promoter. In this, the protein functions as wild type and is more 
amendable to high-level expression in mammalian cells.
    Currently this vector is used in on-going studies of HIV infection 
and its

[[Page 3157]]

ability to overcome cellular restriction to replication. As such, the 
reagent will be valuable to other researchers in discovering mechanisms 
of replication, next generation therapeutics and potentially prevention 
of infection as well.

Streptococcus Lipoprotein Antigens

    James M. Musser and Benfang Lei (NIAID); U.S. Provisional 
Application filed 10 Nov 2003 (DHHS Reference No. E-324-2003/0-US-01); 
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; [email protected].
    The current technology describes sixteen isolated and purified Spy 
polypeptides that are conserved across many Group A Streptococcus 
serotypes and that are expressed during infection. The polypeptides are 
from the polypeptide portion of a lipoprotein of a Group A 
Streptococcus. Infection with Group A Streptococcus bacteria can result 
in mild illness such as strep throat, or more severe illnesses such as 
necrotizing faciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Currently 
such infections are treated with antibiotics, but trends indicate an 
increasing resistance to e.g., erythromycin. There is currently no 
licensed vaccine for Group A Streptococcus. The M protein, a main focus 
of studies directed toward vaccine development, elicits antibodies that 
are either serospecific or may induce harmful cross-reacting 
antibodies. This technology identified individual polypeptides that 
were promising vaccine candidates and various combinations thereof. 
Additionally, antibodies to these polypeptides are discussed, which 
could be used therapeutically or in diagnostic assays.

A Simple Method and Apparatus To Produce a Closed, Transverse Bone 
Fracture in a Mouse or Other Skeletal Creature

    Arabella Leet (NIDCR); DHHS Reference No. E-309-2003/0-US-01 filed 
27 Oct 2003; Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].
    A standard pair of pliers was modified to create a device that 
applies three-point bending forces across the leg of a mouse directly 
over the tibia bone. With this device, a reproducible transverse 
fracture can be fashioned quickly and easily, producing an animal model 
for fracture healing.
    Although surgical fixation can be applied to the fracture, short-
term splinting allows abundant bridging callus formation. This device 
does not require a platform for stabilizing the animals; instead the 
jaws are placed directly onto the limb, allowing production of many 
fractures within minutes. By using three-point fixation, there is no 
crush type injury, as when using a guillotine-type device to drop a 
weight onto a pre-rodded bone.
    Scientists studying fracture healing will find this simple device 
useful because no special surgical skills are required to produce and 
stabilize a fracture in a mouse model of fracture healing.

    Dated: January 14, 2004.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 04-1259 Filed 1-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P