[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14141-14142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06123]


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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, 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. 209 and 37 CFR part 404 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 CONTACT: 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology descriptions follow.

GTF2I Mutations as Genetic Marker for Prognosis of Thymic Malignancies

    Description of Technology: The present invention describes the 
presence of a mutation in the general transcription factor IIi (GTF2I) 
gene in indolent thymic tumors that is rarely found in more aggressive 
thymic tumors.
    The invention provides a method of determining the prognosis of 
thymic cancer in a patient by assaying (for example using PCR based 
methods) the genetic material obtained from the patient tissue to 
detect a mutation in at least one copy of GTF2I genetic sequence; and 
correlating the presence of a GTF2I mutation with the prognosis of a 
thymic cancer patient, the presence of the mutation indicating that the 
thymic cancer is indolent.
    A genetic test will complement the diagnostic assessment, 
facilitate development of a molecular classification and assessment for 
the clinical management of thymic cancers.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     A diagnostic test kit for the prognosis and clinical 
management of thymic cancer.
     Clinical decision whether treatment is needed (for 
example, additional treatment after surgery).
     Therapeutic decision making, between an aggressive course 
of

[[Page 14142]]

treatment for more aggressive cancers versus non aggressive treatment.
    Competitive Advantages: The PCR based method is more advantageous 
and more objective than currently available histological classification 
and staging systems.
    Development Stage:
     Early-stage.
     In vitro data available.
     In vivo data available (human).
    Inventors: Guiseppe Giaccone and Yisong Wang (NCI).
    Publication: Petrini I, et al. A specific missense mutation in 
GTF2I occurs at high frequency in thymic epithelial tumors. Nat Genet. 
2014 Aug;46(8):844-9. [PMID 24974848].
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-109-2014/0--US 
Provisional Application No. 61/975,222 filed April 4, 2014.
    Licensing Contact: Sabarni Chatterjee, Ph.D., MBA; 301-435-5587; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: For collaboration 
opportunities, please contact Dr. Guiseppe Giaccone at 
[email protected].

Systems and Devices for Training and Imaging an Awake Test Animal

    Description of Technology: The invention pertains to an apparatus 
and training system for rodents to maintain its head substantially 
motionless during an imaging procedure. The system includes a frame 
defining an enclosure for enclosing an animal therein during the 
imaging procedure which has a head post attached to the head of the 
animal and a treadmill having a plurality of rollers that the animal 
walks on such that one or more of the plurality of wheels rotate when 
the animal is in walking motion and stop rotating when the animal is in 
a substantially motionless state. This arrangement trains the animal to 
remain substantially motionless when disposed within an imaging 
apparatus. This invention permits prolonged imaging of awake rodents 
with minimal confinement and reduces stress.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Imaging test rodents.
     Imaging pharmacological agent distribution in rodents.
     Imaging the therapeutically effects of pharmacological 
agent.
    Competitive Advantages: Imaging while animal is awake.
    Development Stage:
     Early-stage.
     Prototype.
    Inventors: Hanbing Lu, Yihong Yang, Elliot Stein (all of NIDA).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-043-2015/0--US Patent 
Application 14/589,725 filed January 5, 2015.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute on Drug 
Abuse is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties 
interested in collaborative research to further develop apparatus and/
or the training system; commercialize with pharmaceutical industry. For 
collaboration opportunities, please contact Vio Conley, M.S. at 
[email protected].

Miniature System for Manipulating Small Animals in High-Throughput 
Screening Small Molecules

    Description of Technology: The invention pertains to a miniaturized 
plating and feeding system based on a 96-well microplate base and is 
intended to reduce manipulation of organisms as well as amounts of test 
drug/anesthetic, thereby mitigating waste. The kit comprises a feeder 
plate, transfer adaptor and receiver plate. The feeder plate is defined 
by, for example, a plastic 96-well plate with rounded wells. The 
rounded bottoms can dispense to or permit access to the test organism 
of liquid food or drug through about 7 holes of approximately 350 
microns in diameter. A top portion of the well provides test organisms 
(e.g., drosophila, daphnia) with sufficient space to enjoy normal life-
cycles without confinement stress. The feeder plate includes means for 
interfacing with complementary components of the transfer and receiver 
plates through receiving holes and complementary dowels or pins. A 
transfer adapter allows the interconnection of the feeder plate to the 
receiver plate. The transfer plate can be configured to be square or 
rounded for the transfer of organisms from the feeder plate to the 
receiver plate.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Drug Development.
     Toxicity Studies.
     Drug Design.
    Competitive Advantages:
     Small animals.
     High Throughput.
     Space efficiency.
     Resource economy.
    Development Stage:
     Early stage.
     Prototype.
    Inventors: Maria De Los Angeles Jaime and Brian Oliver (NIDDK).
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-034-2015/0--US 
Provisional Application No. 62/080,181 filed November 14, 2014.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases is seeking statements of 
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative 
research to further develop, evaluate or commercialize High-Throughput 
Small Animal Manipulation for Drug Design. For collaboration 
opportunities, please contact Marguerite J. Miller at 
[email protected].
    This abstract replaces one published on Thursday, January 29, 2015 
(80 FR 4935) to correct the patent application filing date.

    Dated: March 12, 2015.
Richard U. Rodriguez, M.B.A.,
Acting Director, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of 
Health.
[FR Doc. 2015-06123 Filed 3-17-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P