[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54578-54580]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21749]


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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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 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.

[[Page 54579]]

Enhanced Nanoparticle Cell-Entry for Cancer Therapy

    Description of Technology: Nanoparticles are being used as a method 
of drug delivery for the treatment of several diseases, cancer in 
particular. While the use and versatility of these particles have 
increased over the years, the speed with which these particles can 
enter the cells and deliver the drugs remains challenging.
    This technology describes a method of modifying nanoparticles to 
markedly enhance their entry into cancer cells and their delivery of 
therapeutic drugs. The nanoparticles use a multi-shell calcium 
phosphate nanocore designed with target-specific siRNA and an 
endocytosis-enhancing agent. The inventors have shown that the 
intravenous systemic administration of the enhanced nanoparticles 
noticeably increases nanoparticle cell-entry along with concomitant 
delivery of siRNA to cancer cells in vivo. They further demonstrate 
that the composite calcium phosphate nanoparticle delivery of anti-
cancer therapy can preferentially target in vivo tumors and cause tumor 
growth arrest. Consequently, these modified nanoparticles can exert a 
greater effect on cancer cells.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Nanoparticle delivery of therapeutic treatments to cancers 
cells.
     Nanoparticle delivery of imaging agents for the 
identification and monitoring of tumor cells.
    Competitive Advantages:
     Preferentially taken up by cancer cells and not normal 
cells
     Faster uptake into cells than other nanoparticles
     Tissue and/or cell specific
     Can be customized for targeted therapy
     Extremely versatile--can transport a variety of 
therapeutic agents and the constructs can incorporate siRNA, 
chemotherapy agents, targeted drugs, pro-drugs, tracers, and 
radioactive molecules.
    Development Stage:
     In vitro data available
     In vivo data available (animal)
    Inventors: King F. Kwong and Lisa A. Tobin (NCI)
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-164-2012/0 -- U.S. 
Patent Application No. 61/648,735 filed 18 May 2012
    Licensing Contact: Whitney Hastings; 301-451-7337; 
[email protected]
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The Kwong Laboratory, Surgery 
Branch, NCI, is seeking statements of capability or interest from 
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate or commercialize nanoparticles in anti-cancer therapy. For 
collaboration opportunities, please contact King F. Kwong, M.D. at 
[email protected].

Therapy for Cancer and Other Diseases Associated With Angiogenesis 
Driven by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A

    Description of Technology: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A 
(VEGF-A) is an angiogenic agent that drives blood vessel formation in 
solid tumors and other diseases, such as macular degeneration and 
diabetic retinopathy. Several therapies that target the ability of VEGF 
to stimulate angiogenesis have been approved. These therapies regulate 
VEGF-A activity by binding VEGF-A, thereby blocking VEGF-A from binding 
to its receptor on target cells. This technology utilizes a different 
approach to regulating VEGF-A activity by providing a VEGF-A protein 
antagonist that is produced by engineering native VEGF-A protein. The 
engineered VEGF-A protein disrupts heparan sulfate proteoglycan binding 
to the VEGF-A/VEGF receptor complex, an activity that is essential for 
the angiogenic properties of native VEGF-A. The antagonist has a 
binding affinity for both FLT-1 (VEGFR-1) and KDR/FLK-1 (VEGFR-2) that 
is equivalent to that of native VEGF-A and specifically antagonizes all 
VEGF-A-stimulated signaling events.
    Potential Commercial Applications: Therapy for solid tumors or 
other diseases associated with angiogenic activity modulated by 
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A expression.
    Competitive Advantages:
     Specificity/Selectivity
     Cost-effectiveness in production
    Development Stage:
     Early-stage
     In vitro data available
     In vivo data available (animal)
    Inventors: Donald P. Bottaro and Fabiola Cecchi (NCI)
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-230-2011/0 -- U.S. 
Patent Application No. 61/639,230 filed 27 Apr 2012
    Licensing Contact: Susan S. Rucker, CLP; 301-435-4478; 
[email protected]
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute's 
Urologic Oncology Branch is seeking statements of capability or 
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further 
develop, evaluate or commercialize antagonists to VEGF-A and hepatocyte 
growth factor (HGF) that block signal transduction and associated 
cellular responses by competitive displacement of native growth factors 
and concomitant disruption of heparan sulfate proteoglycan binding to 
the growth factor-receptor complex. For collaboration opportunities, 
please contact John Hewes, Ph.D. at [email protected].

Methods for Identifying and Isolating Pancreatic Precursor Cells

    Description of Technology: Diabetes results when beta cell 
performance is compromised through loss of cells or reduced cell 
function. Anti-diabetic drugs that stimulate insulin production, such 
as sulfonylureas and meglitinides, have limited efficacy when beta cell 
responsiveness is deficient. There exists a critical need for methods 
to increase beta cell responsiveness by enhancing cell function or by 
increasing beta cell numbers.
    Notch has been shown to play an important role in pancreas 
development and diabetes and NIA investigators discovered that 
pancreatic precursor cells can be identified and isolated using Notch 
and its ligands. This technology describes methods for identifying 
pancreatic precursor cells using a Notch ligand, as well as methods for 
isolating pancreatic precursor cells from a pancreatic cell sample, 
such as pancreatic islet cells or pancreatic extra-islet cells from a 
diabetic patient.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Isolation and expansion of pancreatic progenitor cells for 
diabetes therapy
     Development of a diagnostic test to monitor beta cell 
function
    Competitive Advantages:
     New diagnostic strategies for diabetes
     Potential use in regenerative medicine (pancreatic 
precursor cells recently have been shown to have the potential to 
develop into other cell types)
    Development Stage:
     Early-stage
     In vitro data available
    Inventors: Josephine M. Egan and Maire Doyle (NIA)
    Publication: Kim W, et al. Notch signaling in pancreatic endocrine 
cell and diabetes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010 Feb 12;392(3):247-
51. [PMID 20035712]
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-262-2003/0 --
     U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/590,281 filed 22 Jul 
2004
     PCT Application No. PCT/US2005/026207 filed 22 Jul 2005, 
which published as WO 2006/023209 on 02 Mar 2006

[[Page 54580]]

     U.S. Patent No. 7,888,116 issued 15 Feb 2012
    Licensing Contact: Tara L. Kirby, Ph.D.; 301-435-4426; 
[email protected]

    Dated: August 28, 2012.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-21749 Filed 9-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P