[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58862-58863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20518]


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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.

Method for Inducing T-Cell Proliferation

    Description of Technology: This technology relates to the use of 
thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) to induce CD4+ T cell 
proliferation. This proliferation could be of particular

[[Page 58863]]

relevance for patients in whom this cell population has been 
significantly reduced by HIV/AIDS or other conditions resulting in 
immunodeficiency. The proliferation of isolated CD4+ T cells can be 
induced through direct contact with TSLP or a nucleic acid encoding 
TSLP. The patent application also describes methods of inducing or 
enhancing an immune response through administration of CD4+ T cells 
that have been isolated and induced to proliferate using TSLP or a 
nucleic acid encoding TSLP. TSLPR knockout mice are also described in 
the patent application and available for licensing through a biological 
materials license agreement.
    Applications: Immunotherapy.
    Development Status: Animal (mouse) data available.
    Inventor: Warren J. Leonard et al. (NHLBI).
    Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/555,898 filed 23 
Mar 2004 (HHS Reference No. E-104-2004/0-US-01); U.S. Utility 
Application No. 11/762,357 filed 13 June 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-104-
2004/1-US-02).
    Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Susan Ano, Ph.D.; 301/435-5515; 
[email protected].

Retrovirus-Like Particles as Vaccines and Immunogens

    Description of Technology: This technology describes retrovirus-
like particles and their production from retroviral constructs in which 
the gene encoding of all but seven amino acids of the nucleocapsid (NC) 
protein was deleted. NC is critical for both genomic RNA packaging into 
the virion and viral integration into the host cell. Therefore, this 
deletion functionally eliminates two essential steps in retrovirus 
replication, thereby resulting in non-infectious retrovirus-like 
particles that maintain their full complement of antigenic proteins. 
Furthermore, efficient formation of these particles requires inhibition 
of the protease enzymatic activity, either by mutation to the protease 
gene in the construct or by protease inhibitor thereby ensuring the 
production of non-infectious retrovirus-like particles by altering two 
independent targets. These particles can be used in vaccines or 
immunogenic compositions. Specific examples using HIV-1 constructs are 
given.
    Applications: Retroviral vaccine; Immunogenic compositions.
    Development Status: In vitro data available.
    Inventor: David E. Ott (NCI).
    Publications:
    1. DE Ott et al. Elimination of protease activity restores 
efficient virion production to a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 
nucleocapsid deletion mutant. J Virol. 2003 May;77(10):5547-5556.
    2. DE Ott et al. Redundant roles for nucleocapsid and matrix RNA-
binding sequences in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 assembly. J 
Virol. 2005 Nov;79(22), 13839-13847.
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/413,614 filed 27 Apr 
2006 (HHS Reference No. E-236-2003/0-US-02).
    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, CCR, AIDS Vaccine 
Program is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties 
interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or 
commercialize whole retrovirus-like particle vaccines. Please contact 
John D. Hewes, Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or [email protected] for more 
information.

Potent HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors and Immunogens

    Description of Technology: This technology relates to HIV antigenic 
constructs with flexible, heterologous linkers joining gp120 and gp41. 
The HIV-1 envelope Glycoprotein (Env) undergoes conformational changes 
while driving entry. The inventors developed these constructs to mimic 
some of the intermediate Env conformations. Tethered molecules of the 
invention were stable and potently inhibited cell fusion. Both gp120 
and gp41 contain epitopes that may be necessary for the immune system 
to mount a robust and effective immune response to HIV. By connecting 
the two components, the current invention stabilizes the exposure of 
conserved epitopes, thereby increasing the chances that antibodies will 
form that react with these sites.
    Applications: HIV vaccine.
    Development Status: In vitro data available.
    Inventors: Dimiter S. Dimitrov et al. (NCI).
    Patent Status: U.S. Utility Application No. 10/506,651 filed 02 
Sept 2004 (HHS Reference No. E-039-2002/0-US-02).
    Licensing Status: Available for exclusive or non-exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Susan Ano, Ph.D.; 301/435-5515; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute's 
Nanobiology Program is seeking statements of capability or interest 
from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop or 
evaluate immune response constructs. Please contact John D. Hewes, 
Ph.D. at 301-435-3121 or [email protected] for more information.

    Dated: October 10, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E7-20518 Filed 10-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P