[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61658-61660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21370]
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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.
Immunostimulatory Combinations of TLR Ligands and Methods of Use
Description of Technology: New drugs or therapies that act by
stimulating the immune system, or alternatively inhibiting certain
aspects of the immune system, may be useful for treating various
diseases or disorders, for example viral diseases, neoplasias, and/or
allergies, and may also have use as vaccine adjuvants. However,
although adjuvants have been suggested for use in vaccine compositions,
there is an unmet need for adjuvants that can effectively enhance
immune response.
Development of innate and adaptive immunity critically depends on
the engagement of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which
specifically detect microbial components named pathogen- or microbe-
associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or MAMPs) (1-4). Toll-like
receptors (TLRs) represent an important group of PRRs that can sense
PAMPs or MAMPs once in the body. TLRs are widely expressed by many
types of cells, for example cells in the blood, spleen, lung, muscle
and intestines.
The present invention claims immunostimulatory combinations of TLR
ligands and therapeutic and/or prophylactic methods that include
administering an immunostimulatory combination to a subject. In
general, the immunostimulatory combinations can provide an increased
immune response compared to other immunostimulatory combinations and/or
compositions. More specifically, combinations of TLR 2, 3 and 9 are
claimed. The application also describes a novel mechanism for TLR
synergy in terms of both signaling pathways and cytokine combinations.
Application: Development of improved adjuvants and/or synergistic
combinations of adjuvants for vaccines.
Developmental Status: Compositions have been synthesized and
preclinical studies have been performed.
Inventors: Jay Berzofsky and Qing Zhu (NCI).
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application filed 24 Sep 2007 (HHS
Reference No. E-298-2007/0-US-01).
Licensing Status: Available for exclusive or nonexclusive
licensing.
Licensing Contact: Peter A. Soukas, J.D.; 301/435-4646;
[email protected].
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute's
Vaccine Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop,
evaluate, or commercialize this invention of synergistic combinations
of TLR ligands. Please contact John D. Hewes, PhD at 301-435-3121 or
[email protected] for more information.
[[Page 61659]]
Cellular Receptor for Varicella-Zoster Virus, Methods of Inhibiting
Spread of Varicella-Zoster and Methods of Increasing Stability and
Infectivity of the Virus
Description of Technology: This technology relates to
identification of insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) as a cellular receptor
for Varicella-Zoster-Virus (VZV), the etiologic agent of varicella
(chickenpox) and zoster (shingles). Acute infection of VZV is followed
by cell-associated viremia and the development of varicella rash. The
virus establishes life-long latency in the nervous system and can
reactivate to cause zoster. The mechanism of VZV entry into target
cells and spread from cell-to-cell is not well understood. The
inventors have shown that antibodies to IDE and soluble IDE partially
inhibit infection with the virus in cell culture. Reducing the level of
IDE in the cell (with siRNA), or blocking the ability of IDE to bind
with a VZV glycoprotein, markedly diminishes cell-to-cell spread of the
virus in cell culture and partially inhibits infection of cells with
cell-free virus. This invention further describes molecules that may
have a role in the treatment or prevention of VZV infections, including
antibodies to IDE, peptides that block IDE-VZV interactions, and other
molecules that block binding activity of IDE.
Applications: Treatment and prevention of varicella zoster virus
infection.
Market: Prophylactics and therapeutics for chickenpox and shingles.
Development Status: Early-stage technology.
Inventors: Jeffery Cohen and Qingxue Li (NIAID).
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/684,526 filed 26
May 2005 (HHS Reference No. E-289-2004/0-US-01); PCT Application No.
PCT/US2006/020514 filed 26 May 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-289-2004/0-
PCT-02).
Licensing Status: Available for exclusive or non-exclusive
licensing.
Licensing Contact: Chekesha S. Clingman, PhD; 301/435-5018;
[email protected].
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIAID Laboratory of
Infectious Diseases, Medical Virology Section, is seeking statements of
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative
research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this
technology. Please contact Dr. Jeffrey Cohen at [email protected]
for more information.
An HIV Protein for Use as a Novel Therapeutic or Vaccine Component
Description of Technology: Latent HIV presents a challenge for
complete removal of the virus in infected individuals and is becoming
an increasingly important consideration in the identification of
potential HIV therapeutics or treatment regimens. These
transcriptionally inactive HIV reservoirs lay dormant in a portion of
infected cells and are capable of evading both host defenses and
existing antiretroviral therapy. The present technology offers a
potential solution for complete eradication of HIV in infected
individuals.
This technology describes immunogenic and therapeutic compositions
related to HIV p28TEV protein, the first protein expressed during HIV
infection in the case of the pHXB2 isolate. p28TEV functions in the
regulation of HIV transcription and may be important for the expression
of latent virus. A number of p28TEV associated compositions are
available for licensing and commercial development including: (1) The
p28TEV polypeptide from one or more HIV clades, (2) nucleic acids
encoding these p28TEV polypeptides, (3) a polypeptide with significant
sequence homology to p28TEV, and (4) immunogenic fragments of these
polypeptides. Additional compositions include antibodies and
antagonists that act to inhibit p28TEV activity. Adjuvants,
immunomodulators and compounds used in combination with p28 TEV for the
treatment of HIV infection are also included in the available
technology.
Applications: Novel therapeutics for treatment of HIV infection;
Novel HIV vaccine component.
Development Status: Preclinical data are available at this time.
Inventors: Genoveffa Franchini et al. (NCI).
Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/364,873 filed 27 Feb
2006 (HHS Reference No. E-072-2004/3-US-01); PCT Application No. PCT/
US2007/0004694 filed 23 Feb 2007, which published as WO 2007/098257 on
30 Aug 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-072-2004/4-PCT-01).
Licensing Status: Available for exclusive or non-exclusive
licensing.
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano, PhD; 301/435-5515; [email protected].
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute
Vaccine Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop,
evaluate, or commercialize Methods of Targeting the Establishment of
the HIV Viral Reservoir. Please contact John D. Hewes, PhD at 301-435-
3121 or [email protected] for more information.
Methods for Identifying Cathepsin G-Related Peptides as Modulators of
Formylpeptide Receptors
Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial
development are methods for identifying peptides of Cathepsin G (CaG),
or active variants thereof, which modulate activities of the receptor
for bacterial chemotactic formyl peptides (FPR), including chemotactic
behavior. It provides methods of designing therapeutic approaches
related to the host defense based on the interaction of CaG and FPR, as
CaG binds to FPR to mediate the proinflammatory activities of CaG. The
inventive aspects relate to the finding that CaG induces a more partial
and selective effects upon activation of FPR to mediate a certain and
more limited immunological activity than other agonists that are also
capable of binding FPR. The limitations in the activity include not
inducing calcium flux, having only a weak activation of mitogen-
activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and being able to activate certain
types of atypical protein kinase C (PKC), such as PKC[xgr], while not
activating PKC[alpha] and PKC[beta]. These limitations are advantageous
in attempting to limit the response in mobilizing the phagocytic
leukocyte infiltration to mediate the clearance and repair of damaged
tissue while not amplifying the general inflammatory response, which
may result in damage to healthy and normal tissue.
Applications: Identification of peptides of Cathepsin G that
activate certain types of atypical protein kinase C, such as PKC[xgr],
while not activating PKC[alpha] and PKC[beta], to limit the response in
mobilizing the phagocytic leukocyte infiltration while not amplifying
the general inflammatory response.
Inventors: Ji Ming Wang, Ronghua Sun, Joost Oppenheim, Ye Zhou
(NCI).
Relevant Publication: R Sun et al. Identification of neutrophil
granule protein cathepsin G as a novel chemotactic agonist for the G
protein-coupled formyl peptide receptor. J Immunol. 2004 Jul
1;173(1):428-436.
Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/154,744 filed 17 Jun
2005, entitled ``Cathepsin G-Related Peptides as Modulators of
Formylpeptide Receptors (FPR),'' published as U.S. 20060008891 (HHS
Reference No. E-281-2003/2-US-01).
Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive
licensing.
[[Page 61660]]
Licensing Contact: Cristina Thalhammer-Reyero, Ph.D., M.B.A.; 301/
435-4507; [email protected].
Dated: October 24, 2007.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E7-21370 Filed 10-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P