PATENTSBioWorld Today continues its occasional listings of governmentagencies seeking industrial licensees and Cooperative Research andDevelopment Agreement (CRADA) partners to commercialize theirinventions. The following 11 offers were submitted in recent days bythe National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of TechnologyTransfer (OTT), for publication in the Federal Register.

To obtain licensing information, and copies of the pending U.S.patent applications listed below, contact OTT licensing specialistArthur Cohn, at (301) 496-7735, extension 284, unless anotherinformant is listed.

National Eye Institute:

Blocking Expression of Tumor-Growth Gene In Vivo

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a gene induced bypeptide growth factors, promotes cell proliferation. Inventionprovides pharmaceutical agents that inhibit mitogenic activity of MIFin cells in vivo.

Application: 08/340,826

Filed: 11/16/94

Inventors: Wistow, G.J., et al.

National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute:Enhanced Adenovirus-Mediated Transfection

Invention obviates current adenovirus vector drawbacks byincubating transgene with cationic agent or polycationic liposome,then contacting the nucleic acid with target cell in presence of viralvector.

Application: 08/191.669

Filed: 2/2/94

Inventors: R. Crystal, et al.

National Institute On Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism:

Variant Serotonin Receptor Predicts Psychiatric Ills

Allelic variation of serotonin 5HT2C receptor differs functionallyfrom wild-type. As biochemical and genetic predictor of psychiatricdisorder vulnerability, it facilitates preventive and therapeuticmeasures.

Application: 08/310,271

Filed: 9/21/94

Inventors: Lappalainen, J., et al.

National Institute Of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases: High-Potency, Low-Toxicity Cystic Fibrosis Drugs

Many compounds in use or development increase efflux of chlorideions from affected cells by antagonizing A1 adenosine receptor, butlack specificity for this target, so cause adverse side effects. Inventionprovides compounds that overcome these disadvantages, and activateimpaired chloride conductance channels with high potency, lowtoxicity.

U. S. Patent No. 5,366,977

Filed: 11/22/94

Inventors: Pollard, H. B., et al.

Adenosine Ligand Avoids Behavioral Contraindications

Certain compounds that bind to adenosine receptors protect againstischemia-induced tissue injury, but cause unacceptable behavioraleffects. Invention covers sulfo derivatives of adenosine, which do notcross blood-brain barrier in treating oxygen deprivation, hence avoidtoxic mental side-effects.

Application: 08/278,704

Filed: 7/21/94

Inventors: Jacobson, K., et al..

Insulating Expressed Genes From Cis-Acting Regulation

First DNA insulating sequence to function in human cells, protectschromatin from cis-acting regulatory sequences. "The elementpromises to be a useful tool in gene therapy and gene transfertechniques . . ."

Application: 08/283,125

Filed: 7/29/94

Inventors: Felsenfeld, G., et al.

National Institute Of Environmental & Health Sciences:

Antibody Diagnoses Prostate Cancer Differentially

The KAI1 gene suppresses metastasis of prostate cancer, so canpredictively distinguish malignancies that will progress to lethalityfrom nonfatal tumors, with important implications for treatmentoptions. (See BioWorld Today, May 12, 1995, p. 1.) The role ofKAI1, which encodes a transmembrane protein, is currently underinvestigation for diagnosis and prognosis of other cancers.

NIH seeks a company or companies to develop and commercializeantibodies to this gene under a CRADA. Contact J. Carl Barrett at(919) 541-2992.

Application: 08/430,225

Filed: 4/28/95

Inventors: J. Carl Barrett, et al.

Ultraselective Opioid Drugs Avoid Side Effects

Subclasses of opioid-based therapeutics treat receptor-specificdisorders such as substance abuse, neurological and immune systemdysfunction, graft rejection, pain, shock, brain injuries. Inventionprovides opioid-mimicking cyclic and di-and tripeptides, withultraspecificity and potency for the delta opiate receptor. They areparticularly indicated for analgesia, and drug and alcohol addiction.

Application: 08/347,531

Filed: 11/30/94

Inventors: Lazarus, L. H., et al.

National Institute Of Mental Health:Definitive Diagnosis Of Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is definitively diagnosable only post-mortem,after a clinical history of dementia, by analysis of brain tissues atautopsy. Schizophrenia's diagnosis is entirely limited to aberrantbehavior.

Invention provides for diagnosing both of these central nervoussystem disorders by detecting in a biological sample from a patientelevated levels of certain proteins increased in acute phase reactions.Detection is either by immunoassay or 2D-gel electrophoresis.

Application: 07/904,045

Filed: 6/17/92

Inventors: Merril, C., et al.

National Institute Of Neurological Diseases & Stroke: Test IdentifiesAlzheimer's Patients

Newly discovered differences in the levels of a memory-associatedGTP-binding protein between cells from healthy donors andAlzheimer's patients are assessed by immunoassay, provide quick,reliable differential diagnosis.

Application: 08/312,202

Filed: 9/26/94

Inventors: Alkon, D., et al.

_Compiled by David N. Leff

CRADA For Automated Gene Expression Mapping Assay

NIH seeks a company or companies to develop and commercialize,under a CRADA, an automated high-capacity, high-resolution,cellular gene-mapping assay system for mRNA expression analysissystem or genomic fingerprinting.

The joint project would build upon the National Institute OfNeurological Diseases & Stroke's invention of a quantitative reversetranscription PCR-based protocol, which optimizes the identificationof over-expression or under-expression of genes in a cell.

For scientific inquiries, contact the principal inventor, RolandSomogyi, (301) 402-1407; for CRADA-connected questions, StephenFinley, (301) 496-4697.

_ Compiled by David N. Leff

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.