[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 133 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38088-38089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13542]


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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.

Cyclic Phosphopeptide Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase 2C Delta, Wip1

    Description of Technology: This technology involves the development 
of specific peptides that can be used as anti-cancer agents, 
particularly as promoters of apoptosis. The inventors have modified the 
natural substrate of the Wip1 protein phosphatase in order to produce 
the inhibitors, allowing for specific and efficient inhibition of Wip1. 
These peptides represent the first Wip1 peptide inhibitors. The 
inhibitors can be combined with other pro-apoptosis therapeutics to 
improve patient survival, providing an advantage to previous pro-
apoptosis approaches.
    Wip1 (PP2Cdelta or PPM1D) is a protein phosphatase that negatively 
regulates cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis by preventing p53-mediated 
cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Wip1 is overexpressed in several human 
cancers, including breast cancer, ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma and 
neuroblastoma, suggesting it may play an important role in oncogenesis. 
Inhibiting Wip1 may be a necessary step for inducing apoptosis and 
prohibiting tumor growth, accentuating the need for Wip1-directed 
therapies. Because these peptide inhibitors are the first specific Wip1 
inhibitors, they represent the first opportunity to pursue this 
therapeutic strategy.
    Applications: Applicable as anti-cancer therapeutics for a wide 
variety of tumors, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and 
neuroblastomas. Inhibitors can also be combined with other cancer 
therapeutics.
    Advantages: Inhibitors are designed based on strucural similarity 
to the native substrate, providing a high degree of specificity to the 
target. First inhibitors directed to Wip1 as a target for cancer 
therapy.
    Benefits: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United 
States, with approximately 600,000 cancer-related deaths occurring in 
2006 alone. Wip1 inhibitors may provide a social benefit by reducing 
that number or improving the quality/length of patient life. 
Furthermore, the cancer therapeutic market is expected to reach $27 
billion by 2009. Because these molecules are the first inhibitors of 
Wip1, there is an opportunity to occupy a significant niche in that 
predicted market.
    Inventors: Ettore Appella et al. (NCI).
    U.S. Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/850,218 
(HHS Reference No. E-288-2006/0-US-01).
    Licensing Contact: David A. Lambertson, Ph.D.; Phone: (301) 435-
4632; E-mail: [email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute 
Center for Cancer Research, Laboratory for Cell Biology, is seeking 
statements of capability or interest from parties interested in 
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize 
Cyclic Phosphopeptide Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase 2C Delta, Wip1. 
Please contact John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 301/435-3121 or 
[email protected] for more information.

A Gene Therapy to Treat Lung Cancer

    Description of Technology: This invention relates to the 
identification of a new tumor suppressor gene named Caliban from 
Drosophila melanogaster and Serologically determined colon cancer 
antigen gene 1 (Sdccag1) from humans. Sdccag1 is inactive in human lung 
cancer cells but active in normal lung cells. When full length Caliban 
or Sdccag1 is expressed in human lung cancer cells they lose their 
tumorigenicity. This suggests that Caliban/Sdccag1 could be used as 
both a therapeutic and diagnostic for cancer.
    Applications: Using gene therapy to replace the inactive gene with 
full length Caliban/Sdccag1 to treat cancer(s); A diagnostic assay that 
can determine whether the tumor

[[Page 38089]]

suppressor Caliban/Sdccag1 gene product is functioning in cells.
    Advantages: Caliban/Sdccag1 can be easily adopted into already 
standard gene therapy applications; Provides a novel therapeutic and 
diagnostic target for cancer.
    Benefits: It is estimated that there will be approximately 160,000 
deaths caused by lung cancer in 2007. This technology will help in 
improving the quality of life of lung cancer patients as well as other 
cancers. Additionally, the gene therapy market is now a multi-million 
dollar industry.
    Inventors: Mark A. Mortin (NICHD), Xiaolin Bi (NCI).
    U.S. Patent Status: Pending PCT Application PCT/US2006/022180, 
published as WO 2006/13316 (E-118-2005/0-PCT-02).
    Licensing Contact: David A. Lambertson, Ph.D.; Phone: (301) 435-
4632; Fax: (301) 402-0220; E-mail: [email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of Child 
Health and Human Development is seeking statements of capability or 
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to obtain 
pre-clinical data to be used to further develop, evaluate, or 
commercialize Caliban/Sdccag1 as a novel therapeutic and diagnostic 
target for cancer and other diseases. Please contact John D. Hewes, 
Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or [email protected] for more information.

    Dated: July 5, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E7-13542 Filed 7-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P