[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22109-22110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9571]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
NAG-1 Transgenic Mouse Model
Description of Technology: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-
activated gene-1 (NAG-1) encodes a protein that has anti-inflammatory,
proapoptotic, and antitumor properties. It plays a pivotal role in
antitumorigenesis induced by chemopreventive compounds. Transgenic mice
expressing human NAG-1 have been developed by the NIH investigator and
collaborator.
The NAG-1 transgenic mice are shown to develop few tumors in
response to carcinogenic stimuli than wild type mice. They are also
leaner with less fat than their wild type counterparts. As such, these
mice can be used to investigate the development of cancers, and they
could be of value in studying obesity and the relationship to cancer
risk, and inflammation.
Inventors: Thomas E. Eling (NIEHS), et al.
Publications:
1. Baek SJ, Okazaki R, Lee SH, Martinez J, Kim JS, Yamaguchi K,
Mishina Y, Martin DW, Shoieb A, McEntee MF, Eling TE. Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug activated gene-1 overexpression in transgenic
mice suppresses intestinal neoplasia. Gastroenterology. 2006
Nov;131(5):1553-1560. [PubMed: 17101328]
2. Cekanova M, Lee SH, Donnell RL, Sukhthankar M, Eling TE, Fischer
SM, Baek SJ. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1
expression inhibits urethane-induced pulmonary tumorigenesis in
transgenic mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2009 May;2(5):450-458.
[PubMed: 19401523]
Patent Status: HHS Reference No. E-093-2011/0--Research Tool.
Patent protection is not being pursued for this technology.
Licensing Status: Available for licensing under a Biological
Materials License Agreement.
Licensing Contact: Betty B. Tong, PhD; 301-594-6565;
[email protected].
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIEHS is seeking statements
of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative
research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this
technology. Please contact Elizabeth M. Denholm, NIEHS Office of
Technology Transfer, [email protected], 919-541-0981, for more
information.
Altered miRNA Expression as Diagnostics and Therapeutics for
Adrenocortical Carcinomas
Description of Technology: This technology describes that altered
human miRNA expression such as miRNA-483 and miRNA 100 can accurately
predict if a patient's adrenal cortex tumor is benign or malignant.
Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are rare but aggressive cancers and
typically have a poor prognosis. Currently, there are limited options
for molecular diagnosis to distinguish malignant tumors from benign
tumors of this type. As a result there are few treatment strategies for
ACC.
Additionally, preliminary results suggest that altering the
expression of this miRNA in ACC cells can effect cancer cell growth.
Therefore, inhibiting a miRNA may serve as a therapeutic option for
ACC.
Applications:
Technology can be developed into a diagnostic and
prognostic marker for ACC.
Inhibiting miRNA can serve as a potential therapeutics for
ACC.
Advantages:
Distinguishes malignant Adrenal cortex tumor from a benign
tumor, options for such distinction are limited at this time.
Technology can help in increased and improved diagnosis
and therapeutic options for ACC.
Development Status:
Pre-clinical.
Clinical study to test the markers in biopsy and serum
samples being planned.
Inventors: Electron Kebebew (CCR, NCI) and Erin E. Patterson (CCR,
NCI)
Publication: Patterson E. E. et al. (Cancer, 2010). [PubMed:
21061324]
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 12/961,298 filed
December 6, 2010 (HHS Reference No. E-026-2011/0-US-01)
Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
Licensing Contact: Sabarni Chatterjee, PhD, M.B.A.; 301-435-5587;
[email protected]
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The Center for Cancer Research,
Surgery Branch, is seeking statements of capability or interest from
parties interested in collaborative research to further develop,
evaluate, or commercialize the use of diagnostic miRNAs and to target
these miRNAs for treatment. Please contact John Hewes, PhD at 301-435-
3121 or [email protected] for more information.
Novel Inhibitors of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) for Cancer
Therapy
Description of Technology: With estimated overall costs in the U.S.
in 2006 at $206.3 billion and WHO predictions of 15 million new cases
globally by 2020, the overall economic cost of cancer is staggering.
There remains a significant unmet need for therapies to control the
spread (metastasis) of cancers to other organs in the body. Available
for licensing are compositions and methods of using antagonists of
thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) to prevent cancer progression and
metastasis.
TSLP, an IL-7-like type 1 inflammatory cytokine that is often
associated with the induction of Th2-type allergic responses in the
lungs, is also expressed in cancers regulating their escape (1-3). The
cancer-promoting activity of TSLP primarily required signaling through
the TSLP receptor on CD4+ T cells, promoting Th2-skewed immune
responses and production of immunosuppressive factors such as IL-10 and
IL-13. Expression of TSLP therefore may be a useful prognostic marker
and its
[[Page 22110]]
targeting could have therapeutic potential. Inactivation of TSLP
expression or its receptor signaling can effectively control cancer
progression and metastasis (1).
Applications:
In treatments to control cancer invasion and spreading
Cancer treatment that circumvents cancer-induced immune
suppression
As a means to augment anti-tumor immune responses
For the development of prognostic markers for disease
outcome in cancer patients
Inventors: Arya Biragyn (NIA), Warren J. Leonard (NHLBI)
Relevant Publications:
1. Olkhanud PB, Rochman Y, Bodogai M, Malchinkhuu E, Wejksza K, Xu
M, Gress RE, Hesdorffer C, Leonard WJ, Biragyn A. Thymic stromal
lymphopoietin is a key mediator of breast cancer progression. J
Immunol. 2011;V:186, In Press.
2. De Monte L, Reni M, Tassi E, Clavenna D, Papa I, Recalde H,
Braga M, Di Carlo V, Doglioni C, Protti MP. Intratumor T helper type 2
cell infiltrate correlates with cancer-associated fibroblast thymic
stromal lymphopoietin production and reduced survival in pancreatic
cancer. J Exp Med. 2011 Mar 14;208(3):469-478. [PubMed: 21339327]
3. Pedroza-Gonzalez A, Xu K, Wu TC, Aspord C, Tindle S, Marches F,
Gallegos M, Burton EC, Savino D, Hori T, Tanaka Y, Zurawski S, Zurawski
G, Bover L, Liu YJ, Banchereau J, Palucka AK. Thymic stromal
lymphopoietin fosters human breast tumor growth by promoting type 2
inflammation. J Exp Med. 2011 Mar 14;208(3):479-490. [PubMed: 21339324]
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/416,619 filed
November 23, 2010 (HHS Reference No. E-019-2011/0-US-01)
Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
Licensing Contact: Patrick P. McCue, PhD; 301-435-5560;
[email protected]
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Institute on
Aging, Immunotherapeutics Unit, is seeking statements of capability or
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further
develop, evaluate, or commercialize clinical application of TSLP in
cancers. Please contact Nicole Guyton, PhD at 301-435-3101 or
[email protected] for more information.
System and Method for Producing Nondiffracting Light Sheets That
Improves the Performance of Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy
(SPIM)
Description of Technology: The technology offered for licensing
relates to a system and method of producing nondiffracting beams of
light that spatially overlap, but do not interfere with each other when
intersecting the detection plane of an optical arrangement. The system
includes an illumination source (i.e., ultrafast laser) for
transmitting a beam of light through the optical arrangement that
includes a diffraction grating for diffracting the light beam to
produce beams of light having different wavelengths, which are then
passed through an annular aperture that transforms the beams of light
into nondiffracting beams having different wavelengths. The method can
be readily utilized in Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM),
a system that provides optical sectioning of a sample that is labeled
with fluorescent dyes. SPIM can provide quantitative three-dimensional
maps of the distribution of a flurophore within the sample with high
spatiotemporal resolution and an excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The
standard SPIM technique however produces nonuniform axial resolution,
which is caused by the diffraction of the laser beam through the
sample, causing degradation in the optical sectioning, and forcing a
compromise between field of view and axial resolution. Techniques for
decoupling field of view and axial resolution have previously utilized
nondiffracting beams (e.g., Bessel beams) for sample illumination. The
resulting interference from multiple nondiffracting beams degrades the
quality of optical sectioning and the quality of the image. The present
technology utilizing nondiffracting noninterfering beams is intended to
alleviate the problems associated with the currently used SPIM
techniques.
Applications: In Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM)
used for optical sectioning and imaging of biological samples.
Development Status: Proof of concept has been demonstrated.
Inventors: Andrew York, Yicong Wu, Hari Shroff (NIBIB)
Relevant Publications:
1. Durnin J, Micheli J Jr, Eberly JH. Diffraction-free beams. Phys
Rev Lett. 1987 Apr 13;58(15):1499-1501.
2. Greger K, Swoger J, Stelzer EH. Basic building units and
properties of a fluorescence single plane illumination microscope.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2007 Feb;78(2):023705. [PubMed: 17578115]
3. Fahrbach F, Rohrbach A. Microscopy with Non-diffracting Beams.
Abstract at 2009 Focus on Microscopy Conference, http://www.focusonmicroscopy.org/2009/PDF/28l_Fahrbach.pdf.
4. Rohrbach A. Artifacts resulting from imaging in scattering media:
a theoretical prediction. Opt Lett. 2009 Oct 1;34(19):3041-3043.
[PubMed: 19794809]
Patent Status: U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/360,352 filed 30
Jun 2010, entitled ``System and Method of Producing Nondiffracting
Light Sheets by a Multiplicity of Spatially Overlapping, Minimally
Interfering Nondiffracting Optical Beams'' (HHS Reference No. E-118-
2010/0-US-01)
Licensing Status: Available for licensing.
Licensing Contacts:
Uri Reichman, PhD, MBA; 301-435-4616; [email protected]
Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301-435-5019;
[email protected]
Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NIBIB Section on High
Resolution Optical Imaging is seeking statements of capability or
interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further
develop, evaluate, or commercialize the nondiffracting Light Sheets for
SPIM. Please contact Hari Shroff at 301-435-1995 or [email protected]
for more information.
Dated: April 14, 2011.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-9571 Filed 4-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P