[Federal Register: April 19, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 77, Page 17311-17314]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
The inventions listed below are owned by agencies 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
[[Page 17312]]
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 325, Rockville,
Maryland 20852-3804 (telephone 301/496-7075; fax 301/402-0220). A
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive
copies of the patent applications.
A Gene Encoding a Human Reduced Folate Carrier (RFC) and Methods for
the Treatment of Methotrexate-Resistant, Transport-Deficient Cancer
Cells
Moscow, J., Cowan, K.H., He, R. (NCI)
Filed 7 Jun 95
Serial Nos. 08/484,840 and 08/483,094
Licensing Contact: Allan Kiang, 301/496-7735 ext 270
Methotrexate (MTX), a folate agonist that inhibits the cellular
enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, is effective for the treatment of
several types of cancer including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, childhood
acute lymphoblastic leukemia, osteosarcoma, and breast cancer. A major
drawback of MTX therapy, however, is that previously responsible tumor
cells may become resistant to MTX after continued exposure. Increased
expression of the reduced folate carrier (RFC) protein can restore
sensitivity to MTX. This intention embodies methods to treat various
forms of cancer that have become resistant to MTX by increasing
expression of RFC protein in tumor cells via gene therapy, thereby
restoring MTX sensitivity. Methods for determining the level of RFC
expression, employing antibodies or specific nucleic acid probes, are
also described. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, conventional
chemotherapy, other)
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Oncogene
Yang, S.S. (NCI)
Filed 6 Jun 95
Serial No. 08/471,540 [DIV of 08/324,445 which is FWC of 07/575,524
(Aban) which is CIP of 07/451,953 (Aban in favor of FWC 07/774,156,
which issued as U.S. Patent No. 5,403,926 4 Apr 95)]
Licensing Contact: Ken Hemby, 301/496-7735 ext 265
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a liver cancer which has high levels of
incidence in Asian populations, e.g., China, Korea. Incidence of
hepatocellular carcinoma is greater among chronic carriers of
hepatitis. A transforming sequence or oncoprotein, hhc, has been
identified which is the amplified gene expression product of hepatoma.
Antibodies to the hhcM product or the cDNA itself can be used for
diagnostic, therapeutic, and screening tests. They may also be used as
research tools in studying hepatocellular carcinoma. (portfolio:
Cancer--Diagnostics; Cancer--Research Reagents)
Antiproliferative Protein
Nuell, M.J., McClung, J.K., Danner, D.B., Stuart, D. (NIA)
Filed 5 June 95
Serial No. 08/466,762 (CON of 07/612,674)
Licensing Contact: Ken Hemby, 301/496-7056 ext 265
Controlled division is central to proper cellular function.
Inability to regulate cell division can lead to uncontrolled growth,
such as cancer, or cell death, apoptosis. Cellular proteins that are
involved in inhibiting tumor growth, the tumor suppressor genes, have
been identified. A second class of negative regulatory genes that when
mutated lead to cell death also exist. This invention embodies a
member, prohibition, of this second class of genes. Prohibition may be
useful for the treatment of unregulated cell growth, cancer. In
addition, inactivation of the prohibition gene or its product may be
useful for conditions characterized by insufficient cellular
proliferation, such as osteoporosis, fragile skin, and poor wound
healing. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics)