[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 79 (Thursday, April 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22741-22742]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08562]


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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 invention listed below is owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and is available for licensing 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: Chris Kornak at 240-627-3705 or 
[email protected]. Licensing information may be obtained by 
communicating with the Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property 
Office, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 5601 
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852; tel. 301-496-2644. A signed 
Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of 
unpublished information related to the invention.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology description follows:

Use of the Intracellular Signaling Domain of Receptor CD28H as a 
Component of Chimeric Antigen Receptors To Overcome Inhibition of 
Cytotoxic Lymphocytes by Checkpoint Receptors

    Description of Technology: Engineered chimeric antigen receptors 
(CARs) that are expressed in cytotoxic T cells and natural killer (NK) 
cells have been used to specifically target tumor cells. However, CAR-T 
and CAR-NK cells are still subject to downregulation by their 
inhibitory receptors after injection into patients.
    Scientists at NIAID have developed CAR constructs that overcome 
inhibition of NK cells by receptors for human major histocompatibility 
complex molecules HLA-E and HLA-C, based on in vitro studies. The CAR 
contains an antigen binding domain of receptor CD28 homolog (CD28H), a 
CD28H transmembrane domain (TM), a CD28H signaling domain, and other 
intracellular signaling domains, such as 2B4 (CD244) and CD3 zeta chain 
(CD3zeta). A variant of this CAR, in which the antigen binding domain 
of CD28H is replaced by a single-chain antibody variable region (scFv) 
that binds to CD19, rendered NK cells resistant to inhibition by HLA-E 
and HLA-C on CD19+ tumor cells.
    This technology is available for licensing for commercial 
development in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404, as 
well as for further development and evaluation under a research 
collaboration.
    Potential Commercial Applications:
     Method of adoptive therapy where CAR-NK cell or CAR-T cell 
is the effector cell.
    Competitive Advantages:
     Resistant to inhibition of NK cells or T cells by HLA-E 
and HLA-C.
     Manufacturing efficiency.
     CAR-NK can be developed without the need to genetic 
silencing of TCR.

[[Page 22742]]

    Development Stage:
     Pre-clinical.
    Inventors: Eric O. Long (NIAID), Xiaoxuan Zhuang (NIAID).
    Publications: Zhuang X and Long E.O., ``CD28 homolog is a strong 
activator of natural killer cells for lysis of B7H7-positive tumor 
cells.'' Cancer Immunol Res 7(6):939-951. https://cancerimmunolres.aacrjournals.org/content/7/6/939.long. April 24, 2019.
    Trends Immunol: ``Inhibition-resistant CARs for NK cell cancer 
immunotherapy'' Trends Immunol 40:1078-1081, December 2019.
    Intellectual Property: HHS Reference No. E-097-2020-0-PCT-01, PCT 
Patent Application No. PCT/US2020/024985.
    Licensing Contact: To license this technology, please contact Chris 
Kornak at 240-627-3705 or [email protected], and reference E-097-
2020-0.
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases is seeking statements of capability or 
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further 
develop, evaluate or commercialize this technology. For collaboration 
opportunities, please contact Chris Kornak at 240-627-3705 or 
[email protected].

    Dated: April 12, 2020.
Wade W. Green,
Acting Deputy Director, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property 
Office, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
[FR Doc. 2020-08562 Filed 4-22-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P