75260 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 240 / Thursday, December 14, 2006 / Notices 

Development Status: Animal data is 

available. 

Inventors: Triantafyllos Chavakis 

(NCI) et al. 

Publications: 

(1) T Chavakis et al. Staphylococcus 

aureus extracellular adherence protein 

serves as anti-inflammatory by 

inhibiting the recruitment of host 

leukocytes. Nat Med. 2002 Jul;8(7):687–

693. 

(2) C Xie et al. Suppression of 

experimental autoimmune 

encephalomyelitis by extracellular 

adherence protein of Staphylococcus 

aureus. J Exp Med. 2006 Apr 

17;203(4):985–994. 

Patent Status: U.S. Provisional 

Application No. 60/771,884 filed 10 Feb 

2006 (HHS Reference No. E–295–2005/ 

0–US–01). 

Availability: Available for exclusive 

and non-exclusive licensing. 

Licensing Contact: Norbert Pontzer, 

Ph.D., J.D.; 301/435–5502; 

pontzern@mail.nih.gov. 

Collaborative Research Opportunity: 

The National Cancer Institute 

Experimental Immunology Branch is 

seeking statements of capability or 

interest from parties interested in 

collaborative research to further 

develop, evaluate, or commercialize 

Novel Treatments for Autoimmune 

Neuroinflammatory Diseases including 

Multiple Sclerosis. Please contact Betty 

Tong, Ph.D. at 301–594–4263 for more 

information. 

Gene Cassette for Enhancement of 

Protein Production 

Description of Technology: There is a 

continuing market need for expression 

systems that improve recombinant 

protein production for disease 

therapeutics or research materials. The 

present invention describes a ‘‘gene 

cassette’’ containing the aadA1 

(aminoglycoside adenylyltransferase) 

gene that increases protein expression 

levels when incorporated into a 

bacterial or eukaryotic host genome. In 

bacterial systems, the inventors have 

shown that this gene cassette induces 

enhancement of protein production and 

accumulation. This inducement is not 

restricted by the nature of the vector, 

induction system or nature of protein. In 

particular, this invention has yielded 3- 

fold upregulation of anti-HIV peptide 

expression levels in a microbial 

microbicide (see reference below). This 

technology offers an effective 

mechanism for increased product yield 

that can be utilized for pharmaceutical 

or biotechnological applications. 

Applications: (1) Affordable gene 

cassette that increases production of 

recombinant or native proteins with 

reduced culture volume and faster 

processing time; (2) Increases efficacy 

and potency of cell-based therapeutics 

that overexpress endogenous or 

heterologous proteins. 

Market: (1) Producers of protein, 

peptide, or cell-based therapeutics who 

would benefit from enhanced protein 

expression; (2) Researchers worldwide 

who utilize expression systems for 

protein synthesis. 

Development Status: System validated 

in bacterial cells. Development 

underway for use in eukaryotic 

expression systems. 

Inventors: Shankar Adhya and 

Sudeshna Kar (NCI). 

Publication: S Rao, S Hu, L McHugh, 

K Lueders, K Henry, Q Zhao, RA Fekete, 

S Kar, S Adhya, DH Hamer. Toward a 

live microbial microbicide for HIV: 

commensal bacteria secreting an HIV 

fusion inhibitor peptide. Proc Natl Acad 

Sci U S A. 2005 Aug 23;102(34):11993–

8. Epub 2005 Jul 22, doi 10.1073/ 

pnas.0504881102. 

Patent Status: U.S. Provisional 

Application No. 60/571,943 filed 18 

May 2004 (HHS Reference No. E–261–

2003/0–US–01); PCT Application No. 

PCT/US2005/17001 filed 17 May 2005, 

which published as WO 2005/116222 

on 08 Dec 2005 (HHS Reference No. E–

261–2003/0–PCT–02). 

Licensing Status: Available for 

exclusive or non-exclusive licensing. 

Licensing Contact: Tara L. Kirby, 

Ph.D.; 301/435–4426; 

tarak@mail.nih.gov. 

Dated: December 6, 2006. 

Steven M. Ferguson, 

Director, Division of Technology Development 

and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer, 

National Institutes of Health. 

[FR Doc. E6–21301 Filed 12–13–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Cancer Institute; Notice of 

Closed Meetings 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice 

is hereby given of the following 

meetings. 

The meetings will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C. 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Cancer 

Institute Special Emphasis Panel, Molecular 

Biology Special Emphasis Panel. 

Date: January 29–31, 2007. 

Time: 6 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: Marriott Conference Center, 5701 

Marinelli Road, Bethesda, MD 20852. 

Contact Person: Michael B Small, PhD, 

Scientific Review Administrator, Research 

Programs Review Branch, Division of 

Extramural Activities, National Cancer 

Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6116 

Executive Blvd., Room 8127, Bethesda, MD 

20892–8328, 301–402–0996, 

smallm@mail.nih.gov. 

Name of Committee: National Cancer 

Institute Special Emphasis Panel, Clinical 

Studies Special Emphasis Panel. 

Date: January 31–February 2, 2007. 

Time: 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: Marriott Bethesda North Hotel and 

Conference Ctr., 5701 Marinelli Road, North 

Bethesda, MD 20852. 

Contact Person: Majed M Hamawy, PhD, 

Scientific Review Administrator, Research 

Programs Review Branch, Division of 

Extramural Activities, National Cancer 

Institute, NIH, 6116 Executive Boulevard, 

Room 8133, Bethesda, MD 20852. 301–594–

5659. mh101v@nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.392, Cancer Construction; 

93.393, Cancer Cause and Prevention 

Research; 93.394, Cancer Detection and 

Diagnosis Research; 93.395, Cancer 

Treatment Research; 93.396, Cancer Biology 

Research; 93.397, Cancer Centers Support; 

93.398, Cancer Research Manpower; 93.399, 

Cancer Control, National Institutes of Health, 

HHS) 

Dated: December 6, 2006. 

Anna Snouffer, 

Acting Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 06–9696 Filed 12–13–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–M 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute; Notice of Closed Meetings 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), notice 

is hereby given of the following 

meetings. 

The meetings will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 


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