[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65536-65537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18885]


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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.

Mice Lacking Expression of Chemokine Receptor CCR9 Generated by Gene 
Targeting (CCR9 KO Mice)

    Description of Technology: Chemokines and their receptors are key 
regulators of thymocytes migration and maturation in normal and 
inflammation conditions. The chemokine CCL25 is highly expressed in the 
thymus and small intestine. CCR9, the receptor for CCL25, is expressed 
on the majority of thymocytes, indicating that CCR9 and its ligand may 
play an important role in thymocyte development. To investigate the 
role of CCR9 during lymphocyte development, CCR9 knockout mice were 
developed. Knockout mice had increased numbers of peripheral 
[gamma][delta]-T cells but reduced numbers of [alpha][beta]-T cells. In 
competitive transplantation experiments bone marrow from CCR9 knockout 
mice was much less efficient at repopulating the thymus than control 
(wild type) bone marrow. Thus, CCR9 KO mice are a model for studying 
thymocyte development and trafficking in the body. Additionally, as the 
ligand for CCR9 is highly expressed in the small intestine, CCR9 
potentially plays a role in the specialization of immune responses in 
the gastrointestinal tract.
    Applications: (1) Evaluate drugs aimed at blocking or augmenting 
lymphocyte trafficking; (2) A model for studying T cell development; 
(3) A model for studying immunological based gastrointestinal 
disorders.
    Inventors: Paul E. Love (NICHD), Joshua M. Farber (NIAID), Shoji 
Uehara (NICHD).
    Publications:
    1. S Uehara et al. A role for CCR9 in T lymphocyte development and 
migration. J Immunol. 2002 Mar 15;168(6):2812-2819.
    2. S Uehara et al. Characterization of CCR9 expression and CCL25/
thymus-expressed chemokine responsiveness during T cell development: 
CD3\high\CD69+ thymocytes and [gamma][delta] TCR+ thymocytes 
preferentially respond to CCL25. J Immunol. 2002 Jan 1;168(1):134-142.
    Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-328-2006/0--Research Tool.
    Licensing Status: This technology is available as a research tool 
under a Biological Materials License.
    Licensing Contact: Jennifer Wong; 301/435-4633; 
[email protected]. 

mFPR2 Transgenic and Knockout Mouse Models for Alzheimer's and Other 
Inflammatory Diseases

    Description of Technology: Human Formyl Peptide-Like Receptor 1 
(hFPLR1) has been implicated in host defense for disease processes 
including Alzheimer's disease, infection, and other inflammatory 
diseases. hFPLR1 and its mouse homologue Formyl Peptide Receptor 2 
(mFPR2) are G-protein coupled receptors that are expressed at high 
levels on phagocytic leukocytes, mediating leukocyte chemotaxis and 
activation in response to a number of pathogen- and host-derived 
peptides. Activation of hFPRL1/mFPR2 by lipoxin A4 may play a role in 
preventing and resolving inflammation. Also, hFPRL1/mFPR2 has been 
shown to mediate the chemotactic activity of amyloid [beta] 1-42, a key 
pathogenic peptide in Alzheimer's disease.
    Available for licensing are mice expressing the mFPR2 transgene on 
either the FVB or C58BL background, as well as mFPR2 knockout mice on 
the C57BL background. These mice are anticipated to be highly useful in 
the study of a wide variety of inflammatory, infectious, immunologic 
and neurodegenerative diseases.
    Applications: (1) Drug development model for Alzheimer's disease 
and other inflammatory diseases; (2) Tool to probe the role of hFPRL1/
mFPR2 in host responses in a variety of disease processes, including 
inflammatory, infectious, immunologic, and neurodegenerative disease.
    Inventors: Ji Ming Wang et al. (NCI).
    Related Publications:
    1. K Chen, P Iribarren, J Hu, J Chen, W Gong, EH Cho, S Lockett, NM 
Dunlop, and JM Wang. Activation of Toll-like receptor 2 on microglia 
promotes cell uptake of Alzheimer disease-associated amyloid beta 
peptide. J Biol Chem. 2006 Feb 10;281(6):3651-3659.
    2. H Yazawa, ZX Yu, Takeda, Y Le, W Gong, VJ Ferrans, JJ Oppenheim, 
CC Li, and JM Wang. Beta amyloid peptide (Abeta42) is internalized via 
the G-protein-coupled receptor FPRL1 and forms fibrillar aggregates in 
macrophages. FASEB J. 2001 Nov;15(13):2454-2462.
    3. YH Cui, Y Le, W Gong, P Proost, J Van Damme, WJ Murphy, and JM 
Wang. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide selectively up-regulates the 
function of the chemotactic peptide receptor formyl peptide receptor 2 
in murine microglial cells. J Immunol. 2002 Jan 1;168(1):434-442.
    Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-303-2006/0--Research Tool.
    Licensing Status: This technology is available as a research tool 
under a Biological Materials License.
    Licensing Contact: Tara L. Kirby, Ph.D.; 301/435-4426; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute--
Frederick, Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, is seeking 
statements of capability or interest from parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize 
mFPR2 Transgenic and Knockout Mouse Models for Alzheimer's and Other 
Inflammatory Diseases. Please contact Betty Tong, Ph.D. at 301-594-4263 
or [email protected] for more information.

Vaccine Production Strain for Acellular Pertussis Vaccine

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing from the NIH is 
a vaccine production strain of Bordetella bronchiseptica that produces 
Bordetella pertussis toxin in high yield. The Bordetella bronchiseptica 
strain has been modified to eliminate expression of filamentous 
hemagglutinin, which typically has to be removed in purification of the 
toxin, thereby

[[Page 65537]]

reducing the yield of the active vaccine component. Immediately 
available for licensing is a strain that encodes a mutated pertussis 
toxin, which does not have to be chemically detoxified.
    Application: Production of Bordatella pertussis toxin for acellular 
vaccine use.
    Inventors: Tod Merkel, Jerry Keith, and Xiaoming Yang (NIDCR).
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent No. 7,101,558 issued 05 Sep 2006 (HHS 
Reference No. E-159-1999/0-US-03).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Susan Ano, Ph.D.; 301/435-5515; 
[email protected].

HSV-2 Diagnostic

    Description of Technology: The present invention relates to novel 
diagnostic methods for Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2). HSV-2 
infects approximately one fifth of adults in the United States and is 
the most common cause of genital ulceration. The invention relates to 
the detection of HSV-2 based on a transforming nucleic acid sequence 
and its protein product. This DNA sequence harbors the potential to 
induce the tumorigenic transformation of normal cells in in vitro and 
in vivo assays and thus will be useful as a means of prognostic 
evaluation in predicting the development of genital or cervical cancer. 
Current HSV-2 diagnostic tests relying on tedious viral culture and/or 
immunoassays that do not have the sensitivity and the specificity 
essential for diagnosis. Using PCR, the current invention will provide 
a superior method for viral detection and subtyping.
    Application: HSV-2 diagnostic.
    Inventors: Joseph A. DiPaolo (NCI-)
    Publication: JA DiPaolo et al. Relationship of stable integration 
of herpes simplex virus-2 Bg/II N subfragment Xho2 to malignant 
transformation of human papillomavirus-immortalized cervical 
keratinocytes. Int J Cancer 1998 Jun 10;76(6):865-871.
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent 6,617,103 issued 09 Sep 2003 (HHS 
Reference No. E-091-1999/0-US-03); CA Application 2,259,657 filed 30 
Jun 1997 (HHS Reference No. E-091-1999/0-CA-04).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Susan Ano, Ph.D.; 301/435-5515; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NCI Division of Basic 
Science is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties 
interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or 
commercialize HSV-2 Diagnostic. Please contact Betty Tong, Ph.D. at 
301-594-4263 or [email protected] for more information.

    Dated: October 24, 2006.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E6-18885 Filed 11-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P