[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 7050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2495]


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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, 
MD 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.

Conditional Expression of the Transcription Factor ARNT in a Mouse 
Model

    Description of Technology: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear 
translocator (Arnt) protein is a transcription factor that plays an 
important role in mammalian development and physiological homeostasis. 
A member of the PAS domain/bHLH family of transcription factors, it is 
an obligate dimerization partner with other members of this family, 
such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and hypoxia-inducible 
factor 1alpha (HIF1alpha). It was shown to be a critical factor in 
control of gene expression in a number of tissues including ovary, 
vascular endothelium, keratinocytes, and T-cells.
    Available for licensing is a mouse line homozygous for floxed 
alleles of the Arnt gene. This mouse line can be used to disrupt the 
Arnt gene in different tissues by breeding the Arnt-floxed mice with 
transgenic mice in which the Cre recombinase is under the control of 
tissue-specific promoters. These mice can be used as a research tool 
for drug development where PAS/bHLH transcription factors are targeted.
    Applications: Tool for drug studies targeting PAS/bHLH 
transcription factors; Tool to probe the role of the Arnt protein in a 
tissue-specific manner.
    Inventors: Frank J. Gonzalez (NCI).
    Related Publications:
    1. S. Tomita, C.J. Sinal, S.H. Yim, and F.J. Gonzalez. Conditional 
disruption of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) 
gene leads to loss of target gene induction by the aryl hydrocarbon 
receptor and hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha. Mol Endocrinol. 2000 
Oct;14(10):1674-1681.
    2. S.H. Yim, Y. Shah, S. Tomita, H.D. Morris, O. Gavrilova, G. 
Lambert, J.M. Ward, and F.J. Gonzalez. Disruption of the Arnt gene in 
endothelial cells causes hepatic vascular defects and partial embryonic 
lethality in mice. Hepatology. 2006 Sep;44(3):550-560.
    Licensing Status: This technology is available as a research tool 
under a Biological Materials License.
    Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-047-2007/0--Research Tool.
    Licensing Contact: Tara L. Kirby, Ph.D.; 301/435-4426; 
[email protected].

Nanopore Structured Biosensors

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial 
development is a new glucose monitor system developed for direct 
glucose measurement without the use of mediators and glucose enzymes. 
Nanopore structured glucose sensors with special membrane bearing 
receptors mimic the function of the glucose oxidase and show the 
ability to directly measure glucose with high precision and accuracy; 
especially for measuring hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia ranges. These 
inventions provide improvements for type I and type II diabetes 
patients over commercial meters which lack the accuracy at the lower 
glucose range.
    Application: Diagnostics.
    Market: Diabetes.
    Development Status: Early-stage.
    Inventors: Ellen T. Chen (FDA) et al.
    Related Publications:
    1. E.T. Chen and J. Thornton. Novel nanopore structured glucose 
biosensors promote reagentless glucose concentration measurements in 
the hypoglycemic range. Abstract presented at FDA Science Forum, April 
2005, Washington, DC.
    2. E.T. Chen. Amperometric biomimetic enzyme sensors based on 
modified cyclodextrin as electrocatalysts. U.S. Patent No. 6,582,583 
issued 24 Jun 2003.
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/792,902 filed 19 
Apr 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-185-2006/0-US-01).
    Licensing Status: Available for exclusive and non-exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Michael A. Shmilovich, Esq.; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].

Human Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies to Respiratory Syncytial Virus 
and Human Neutralizing Antibodies to Respiratory Syncytial Virus

    Description of Technology: This invention is a human monoclonal 
antibody fragment (Fab) discovered utilizing phage display technology. 
It is described in Crowe et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1994 Feb 
15;91(4):1386-1390 and Barbas et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1992 Nov 
1;89(21):10164-10168. This MAb binds an epitope on the RSV F 
glycoprotein at amino acid 266 with an affinity of approximately 
109M-1. This MAb neutralized each of 10 subgroup 
A and 9 subgroup B RSV strains with high efficiency. It was effective 
in reducing the amount of RSV in lungs of RSV-infected cotton rats 24 
hours after treatment, and successive treatments caused an even greater 
reduction in the amount of RSV detected.
    Applications: Research and drug development for treatment of 
respiratory syncytial virus.
    Inventors: Robert M. Chanock (NIAID), Brian R. Murphy (NIAID), 
James E. Crowe, Jr. (NIAID), et al.
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent 5,762,905 issued 09 Jun 1998 (HHS 
Reference No. E-032-1993/1-US-01); U.S. Patent 6,685,942 issued 03 Feb 
2004 (HHS Reference No. E-032-1993/1-US-02); U.S. Patent Application 
No. 10/768,952 filed 29 Jan 2004 (HHS Reference No. E-032-1993/1-US-
03).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Peter A. Soukas, J.D.; 301/435-4646; 
[email protected].

    Dated: February 2, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-2495 Filed 2-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P