[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30428-30429]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8168]


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

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.

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

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.

Antibodies That Specifically Recognize S100A15, a Protein Involved in 
Epidermal Differentiation and Inflammation

    Description of Technology: This technology describes rabbit 
polyclonal antibodies that recognize the human and mouse S100A15 
proteins. S100A15 is involved in epidermal differentiation

[[Page 30429]]

and inflammation, and is dysregulated in skin tumors and inflammatory 
psoriasis.
    Applications: Diagnostic tool for evaluation of agents that alter 
skin pathology; research tool to probe the role of S100A15 during 
epidermal maturation, skin carcinogenesis, and inflammation; diagnostic 
tool for the clinical evaluation of skin tumors and inflammatory 
diseases such as psoriasis.
    Development Status: Early stage.
    Inventors: Ronald Wolf, Stuart H. Yuspa, Paul Goldsmith, and 
Christopher J. Voscopoulos (NCI).
    Publication: R. Wolf et al., ``The mouse S100A15 ortholog parallels 
genomic organization, structure, gene expression, and protein-
processing pattern of the human S100A7/A15 subfamily during epidermal 
maturation,'' J Invest Dermatol advance online publication 09 March 
2006, doi: 10.1038/sj.jid.5700210.
    Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-145-2006/0--Research Tool.
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive licensing under a 
Biological Materials License.
    Licensing Contact: Marlene K. Astor, JD, MS, MIP; 301/435-4426; 
[email protected].

Potent Pharmacophoric Delta- and Mu-Opioid Receptor Antagonists and 
Conversion of Endomorphin Mu-Opioid Agonists to Antagonists

    Description of Technology: The inhibition (antagonism) of mu-opioid 
receptors is a critical human health topic, since this receptor is the 
key element in the neural reward pathway in the central nervous system 
responsible for craving and addiction to food, alcohol or various 
drugs, such as morphine and its derivatives. Furthermore, antagonists 
to these receptors are absent in nature. This invention provides 
compositions for new modified opioid antagonists.
    For example, a series of dimeric N,N-dimethyl-Dmt-Tic (2',6'-
dimethyl-l-tyrosyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) 
analogues were covalently linked tail-to-tail through diaminoalkane, 
and symmetric or asymmetric 3,6-diaminoalkyl-2(1H)-pyrazinone moieties. 
The latter compounds exhibit dual antagonism toward delta- and mu-
opioid receptors providing a means to simultaneously regulate two 
independent opioid receptors to combat addiction, tolerance, and 
alcohol dependency. Dmt is the essential pluripotent amino acid residue 
that regulates binding to all opioid receptor molecules, which are 
classified into delta, mu, and kappa subtypes depending on the type of 
interacting opioid. Compounds from another class of mu-opioid 
antagonists were also prepared, including [N-allyl-Dmt1]endomorphin-1 
(N-allyl-Dmt-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH2) and [N-allyl-Dmt1]endomorphin-2 (N-allyl-
Dmt-Pro-Phe-Phe-NH2).
    The former set of dimeric compounds readily pass through the 
epithelial barriers in the gut and brain when injected systematically 
or taken orally. Additionally, these bivalent ligands would be 
attractive in drug design due to their stability to proteolytic 
degradation. That they are also slightly more hydrophobic may increase 
potency by their ability to transit membranes.
    Application: Potential opiate, food and alcohol addiction 
therapeutics.
    Development Status: Early stage.
    Inventors: Lawrence H. Lazarus (NIEHS) et al.
    Publications:
    T Li et al., ``Potent Dmt-Tic pharmacophoric delta- and mu-opioid 
receptor antagonists,'' (2005) J Med Chem. 48:8035-44.
    T Li et al., ``New series of potent delta-opioid antagonists 
containing the H-Dmt-Tic-NH-hexyl-NH-R motif,'' (2005) Bioorg Med Chem 
Lett. 15:5517-20.
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/714,071 filed 04 
Feb 2005 (HHS Reference No. E-305-2005/0-US-01).
    Licensing Status: This technology is available for exclusive, co-
exclusive, or nonexclusive licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Marlene K. Astor, JD, MS, MIP; 301/435-4426; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology and 
Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry Group, is seeking statements of 
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative 
research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this 
technology. Please contact John S. Penta, PhD. at 919-541-3696 or 
[email protected] for more information.

Novel Glycated Peptides and Proteins as Biomarkers for Diabetes Control

    Description of Technology: A primary goal of diabetes therapy is to 
improve control of blood glucose levels (known as glycemic control) in 
patients. Prospective studies of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 
indicate that careful glycemic control significantly reduces the risk 
of microvascular, neurological, and cardiovascular complications of 
diabetes.
    The current method to monitor glycemic control is by measurement of 
the relative concentration of glycated red-cell hemoglobin (HbA1C). 
However, levels of HbA1C, an intracellular protein, reflect glycemic 
control over a timeframe of several months. They are also susceptible 
to a variety of perturbing factors such as hematologic disorders, 
kidney disease, aspirin or penicillin use, or alcohol intake.
    This technology describes a family of novel glycated peptide and 
protein biomarkers for glycemic control, as well as a method to monitor 
glycemic control in diabetic patients. In contrast to HbA1C, which is 
an intracellular protein, the glycated proteins described in this 
invention are found in blood plasma, and might reflect changes in 
glycemic control more rapidly, and with more sensitivity. A test 
developed using this technology could be envisioned to supplement or 
replace current monitoring of glycemic control by HbA1C. Also described 
are methods for making antibodies and aptamers that bind the described 
glycated peptides and proteins, and a database listing glycated peptide 
concentrations in diabetic and control samples.
    Applications: Diagnostic tool to monitor glycemic control in 
diabetic or at-risk individuals; markers to track development of 
diabetes complications.
    Development Status: Early stage.
    Inventors: Perry J. Blackshear (NIEHS).
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/779,710 filed 06 
Mar 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-057-2005/0-US-01).
    Licensing Status: This technology is available for exclusive, co-
exclusive, or nonexclusive licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Marlene K. Astor, JD, MS, MIP; 301/435-4426; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences, Office of Clinical Research, is seeking 
statements of capability or interest from parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize 
this technology. Please contact John S. Penta, PhD. at 919-541-3696 or 
[email protected] for more information.

    Dated: May 18, 2006.
David R. Sadowski,
Acting Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, 
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E6-8168 Filed 5-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P