[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51670-51671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26171]


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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 agencies of the U.S. 
Government and are available for licensing in the United States 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 U.S. 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 24, 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.

Genes for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease

DA Tagle, ED Carstea, JA Morris, PG Pentchev, WJ Pavan, MA Rosenfeld, 
SK Loftus (NINDS/NHGRI)
Serial No. 60/051,682 filed 03 Jul 97
Licensing Contact: Leopold J. Luberecki, Jr., 301/496-7735 ext. 223

    Niemann-Pick disease is a class of inherited lipid storage 
diseases. Niemann-Pick Type C disease is an autosomal recessive 
neurovisceral lipid storage disorder which leads to systemic and 
neurological abnormalities including ataxia, seizures, and loss of 
speech. Patients with the disease typically die as children. The 
biochemical hallmark of Niemann-Pick Type C cells is the abnormal 
accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in lysosomes, which results in 
the delayed homeostatic regulation of both uptake and esterification of 
low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Niemann-Pick Type C is 
characterized by phenotypic variability. The disease appears at random 
in families that have no history of the disorder, making diagnosis 
problematic. This invention provides the human gene for Niemann-Pick 
Type C disease and the nucleic acid sequences corresponding to the 
human gene for Niemann-Pick Type C disease. Also provided is the mouse 
homolog of the human gene. The invention could lead to improved 
diagnosis and the design of therapies for the disease and improved 
means of detection of carriers of the gene. In addition, this invention 
may contribute to the understanding and development of treatments for 
atherosclerosis, a more common disorder associated with cholesterol 
buildup that involves the accumulation of fatty tissue inside arteries 
that blocks blood flow, leading to heart disease and stroke. The 
invention may also lead to additional discoveries concerning how 
cholesterol is processed in the body.

AIB-1, A Steroid Receptor Co-Activator Amplified in Breast and Ovarian 
Cancer

PS Meltzer, JM Trent (NHGRI)
OTT Reference No. E-018-97/0 filed 17 Jun 97
Licensing Contact: Ken Hemby, 301/496-7735 ext. 265

    Breast cancer is the number one cancer in U.S. women, with over 
185,000 cases in 1996 and an estimated 44,560 deaths in the past year. 
Breast cancer arises from estrogen-responsive breast epithelial cells. 
Estrogen activity is though to promote the development of breast 
cancer, and many breast cancers are initially dependent on estrogen at 
the time of diagnosis. Anti-estrogen compositions have therefore been 
used to threat breast cancer.
    AIB-1 (Amplified in Breast Cancer-1) is a novel gene that is 
pivotal to a crucial metabolic pathway linked to the growth and 
progression of human breast cancer. In many cancers, especially breast 
cancer, tumor cells have amplified copies of genes that can give the 
cancer a growth advantage. AIB-1, located on the long arm of chromosome 
20, is one such amplified gene. High-level AIB-1 amplification and 
overexpression have been observed in several estrogen receptor (ER) 
positive breast and ovarian cancer cell lines, as well as in uncultured 
breast cancer specimens. AIB-1 has also been found to be expressed in 
prostate epithelial cells.
    AIB-1 is the most recently identified member of a gene family known 
as SRC-1 (steroid receptor coactivator), all of which interact with 
genes for steroid hormone receptors, ultimately enhancing tumor cell 
growth.
    This invention provides the gene for AIB-1, a novel steroid 
receptor co-activator which is overexpressed in breast cancer cells. It 
also encompasses diagnostic assays for steroid hormone-responsive 
cancers and screening assays to identify compounds which inhibit 
interactions of the co-activator with steroid hormone receptors and 
other proteins in this pathway.

Methods and Compositions for Inhibiting Inflammation and Angiogenesis

K Kelly (NCI)
Serial No. 60/027,871 filed 25 Oct 96

[[Page 51671]]

Licensing Contact: J. Peter Kim, 301/496-7056 ext. 264

    The invention provides compositions and methods directed to 
isolated <greek-a> subunits of the 7TM protein CD97. CD97 is a 
heterodimer existing in three isoforms, namely three forms of <greek-a> 
subunit and one invariant <greek-b> subunit. The invention provides 
compositions and methods for detecting a subunit of CD97, a T-cell 
protein which is unregulated in activated T-cells and is involved in 
the onset and maintenance of inflammation and angiogenesis. The 
invention provides an isolated protein comprising a soluble CD97 
<greek-a> subunit, and an isolated nucleic acid encoding a soluble Cd97 
<greek-a> subunit protein. The invention also provides methods for 
identifying compounds which inhibit soluble CD97 <greek-a> subunit 
expression. The invention may be used to inhibit angiogenesis 
associated with chronic inflammation in a mammal by administering a 
therapeutically effective amount of a CD97 antagonist. Another 
application includes determining the degree of inflammation at a site 
in a mammal with an antibody composition specifically reactive to a 
soluble CD97 <greek-a> subunit. Further, it should be noted that these 
compositions and methods further have in vitro utility in the 
construction of proteins and subsequences thereof for the construction 
of antibodies, and nucleic acids and subsequences thereof for use as 
probes.

Peptides With Laminin Activity

 Y Yamada, JO Graf, Y Iwamoto, F Robey, HK Kleinman,
 M Sasaki, GR Martin (NIDR)
U.S. Patent 5,092,885 issued 03 Mar 92
Licensing Contact: Jaconda Wagner, 301/496-7735, ext. 284

    Peptides with laminin activity, including YIGSR, are claimed. These 
peptides block angiogenesis, alter the formation of capillary 
structures by endothelial cells, prevent the formation of excess blood 
vessels in tissue and inhibit in vivo tumor cell colonization of 
tissues. These peptides can be used, among other things, to inhibit 
metastasis.
    This research has been described in B.J. Cancer 73:589, 1996; 
Cancer Res 54:5005, 1994; Semin Cancer Biol 1993 Aug; 4(4):259-65; 
Cancer Res 1993 Aug 1;53(15):3459-61; Cell 1987 Mar 27;48(6):989-9.

Laminin A Peptides

Y Yamada, HK Kleiman, M Sasaki, GR Martin (NIDR)
U.S. Patent 5,211,657 issued 18 May 93
Licensing Contact: Jaconda Wagner, 301/496-7735, ext. 284

    This invention relates to peptides and derivatives thereof having 
laminin-like activity, as well as a pharmaceutical composition of the 
peptide. The peptides claimed include Serine-Isoleucine-Lysine-Valine-
Alanine-Valine (SIKVAV). Methods for promoting increased adhesion and 
migration of epithelial cells is also disclosed. The peptides have wide 
usage in research, nerve regeneration and cancer treatment. For 
example, this invention may be useful as an adhesion and regeneration 
agent for nerve guides and as an adhesion agent for vascular prothesis.
    This research had been described in Bioorganic Medinal Chem Lett 
5:711, 1995; J Neurosci Res 1995 Oct 15;42(3):314-22; Cancer Res 1995 
Jun 1;55(11):2476-80; FEBS Lett 1995 May 29;365(2-3):227-3; J Cell 
Physiol 1994 Jul;160(1):185-93; Cell Immunol 1994 Jan; 153(1):94-104.

    Dated: September 25, 1997.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 97-26171 Filed 10-1-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M