[Federal Register: December 19, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 244)]
[Notices]
[Page 70824-70825]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19de03-87]
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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.
A Microfluidic Flow-Through Immunoassay for a Simultaneous Detection of
Multiple Proteins in a Sub-Microliter Biological Sample
Nicole Y. Morgan et al. (NIH/NIST)
DHHS Reference No. E-024-2004/0-US-01 filed 30 Oct 2003
Licensing Contact: Michael Ambrose; 301/594-6565;
ambrosem@mail.nih.gov.
This invention presents a high throughput, multi-analyte
microfluidic chip device. This device can be used for the detection and
characterization of proteins, immuno-affinity assays as well as analyte
detection in biological samples or other media. The sub-microliter
volumes for use make this device applicable where biological samples
are rare and difficult to obtain.
The device consists of a series of channels that are connected via
communication ports for sample flow. The channels can be individually
loaded with detection reagents via portals at their ends. As such, the
assay channels can be run in series using a single sample source or
individually via the loading ports, thus increasing the utility of the
microchip device. Each channel can then be detected via colorimetric,
fluorimetric or other detection method as desired. The chip can be
integrated into multiple detection devices or other analytical
equipment.
The chip as designed, is manufactured using photolithographic
etching, thus the number and size of the individual reaction channels
can be modified to increase the number of channels or the volume the
channels can hold. The chip should also be reusable, thus further
increasing the utility of the device.
Method for Analysis of Biomarkers Concentrated With Biomarker
Attractants
Arpita Mehta et al. (NCI)
DHHS Reference No. E-167-2003/0-US-01 filed 08 Oct 2003
Licensing Contact: Fatima Sayyid; 301/435-4521; sayyidf@mail.nih.gov.
Biological fluids are the repositories of vast number of molecules
that are excreted or otherwise shed by cells. These molecules present
in biological fluids reflect the physiological and pathological states
of the cells that are in contact by the fluids or the cells from which
these molecules are derived. A major goal of clinical diagnostics is to
correlate the particular molecules (biomarkers) present in biological
fluids with particular disease states.
The present invention relates to analysis of molecules present in
biological fluids. Specifically, it discloses a diagnostic method for
isolating/analyzing biomarker attractant molecules for the presence of
bound fragments of cellular proteins that are known to correlate with
particular biological states in specific anatomic or physiologic
locations.
Regulation of RNA Stability
Wi Lai et al. (NIEHS)
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/451,976 filed 06 Mar 2003 (DHHS
Reference No. E-314-2002/0-US-01)
Licensing Contact: Jesse S. Kindra; 301/435-5559; kindraj@mail.nih.gov.
This invention relates to the discovery that tristetraprolin (TTP)
can promote the poly(A)RNase (PARN) mediated deadenylation of
polyadenylated substrates containing AU-rich elements (AREs). As one
aspect of the invention, the inventors have developed a cell free
system that may be used for the purposes of assessing the effects of
the various system components or their derivatives (i.e. AREs, PARN, or
TTP) on the deadenylation process or the effects of various test agents
on the deadenylation process. Aspects of this work have been published
as follows: Lai et al., 2003, Tristetraprolin and Its Family Members
Can Promote the Cell-Free Deadenylation of AU-Rich Element-Containing
mRNAs by Poly(A) Ribonuclease, MCB 23(11):3798-3812.
This technology is available for licensing on an exclusive or a
non-exclusive basis.
[[Page 70825]]
Methods for Assessing the Ability of HIV Patients To Restrict HIV
Replication
Mark Connors, Stephen Migueles (NIAID)
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/412,020 filed 20 Sep 2002 (DHHS
Reference No. E-260-2002/0-US-01); PCT Application No. PCT/US03/29549
filed 22 Sep 2003 (DHHS Reference No. E-260-2002/0-PCT-02)
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@mail.nih.gov.
One of the current obstacles for the design and testing of
effective vaccines and immunotherapies of HIV is the lack of in vitro
correlates that will predict the ability to restrict virus replication.
This invention relates to methods for evaluating the effectiveness of
HIV therapies and vaccines and methods for assessing the ability of HIV
patients to restrict virus replication. Upon restimulation of CD8+ T
cells, the expression of perforin in these cells, and the cell cycle
stage of these cells may be measured and used as in vitro markers for
monitoring the patient's ability to restrict HIV replication and the
effectiveness of the therapies and vaccines applied. Significant
proliferation of CD8+ T cells, the presence of perforin in these cells,
and the ability of these cells to progress beyond the G1 stage signify
the patient's ability to restrict HIV replication and a favorable
effect of the therapies or vaccines. These methods may be
advantageously applied in conjunction with other measurements of HIV
specific immune response such as HLA tetramers.
gp64 Pseudotyped Vectors and Uses Thereof
Mukesh Kumar, Joshua Zimmerberg (NICHD,
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/425,853 filed 12 Nov 2002 (DHHS
Reference No. E-191-2001/0-US-01); PCT Application filed 10 Nov 2003
(DHHS Reference No. E-191-2001/0-PCT-02)
Licensing Contact: Susan Ano; 301/435-5515; anos@mail.nih.gov.
This invention relates to a general gene therapy technology which
uses an HIV-1 based vector containing a baculovirus gp64 protein. HIV-1
based gene therapy vectors hold great promise due to their ability to
deliver genes to non-dividing cells including hematopoietic stem cells.
However native HIV only binds to cells with a CD4 receptor, while gene
therapy vectors would need to be delivered to a variety of cells.
Various different envelope proteins have been tried to replace the
native envelope protein of HIV with a new envelope protein whose origin
is another enveloped virus (pseudotyping) that has more general binding
capabilities. However, to date, no one has been successful for
practical purposes, due to either low titers or cytotoxic effects of
the expressed proteins. The inventors have developed a family of
nontoxic vectors using baculovirus gp64 protein (which binds to a
variety of cells) and HIV proteins that efficiently deliver genes of
interest to target cells. Furthermore, since gp64 expression in
producer cells is not accompanied by cytotoxic side effects, this
protein is an ideal candidate for the development of cell lines for
constitutive expression of gp64 for the process of construction of the
hybrid HIV (packaging cell lines).
Dated: December 11, 2003.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 03-31329 Filed 12-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P