[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 146 (Monday, July 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39462-39464]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19180]
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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 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 no 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 and issued patents listed below may be obtained by
contacting Susan Rucker, J.D., at the Office of Technology Transfer,
National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325,
Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7056 ext 245; fax:
301/402-0220). A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be
required
[[Page 39463]]
to receive copies of the patent applications.
Novel Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (ErbB-3) and Antibodies
M Kraus, SA Aaronson (NCI)
Serial No. 07/444,406 filed 04 Dec 89, which issued as U.S.
Patent No. 5,183,884 on 02 Feb 93; and
Serial No. 07/978,895 filed 10 Nov 92, which issued as U.S.
Patent No. 5,480,968 on 02 Jan 96; and
Serial No. 08/473,119 filed 07 Jun 95; and
Serial No. 08/475,352 filed 07 Jun 95
ErbB-3 is a member of the type I family of growth factor receptors.
ErbB-3 is a 148 kd transmembrane polypeptide which has between 64-67%
homology to contiguous regions within the tyrosine kinase domains of
the EGFR and erbB-2 proteins, respectively. ERbB-3 has been mapped to
human chromosome 12 ql 11-13 and has been shown to be expressed as a
6.2 kb transcript in a variety of normal tissues of epithelial origin.
Markedly elevated erbB-3 MRNA levels have been demonstrated in certain
human mammary tumor cell lines. These findings suggest that increased
erbB-3 expression may play a role in oncogenesis.
U.S. Patent 5,183,884 includes claims to the cDNA encoding erbB-3,
vectors containing the cDNA and cells transformed with the vector
containing the cDNA encoding erbB-3. The DNA can be used in diagnostic
applications or for production of the protein.
U.S. Patent 5,480,968 includes claims to the erbB-3 protein and
antibodies to erbB-3. Such antibodies include both monoclonal and
polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies may be labeled allowing for
detection of erbB-3, or conjugated with a cytotoxic agent for use as a
therapeutic.
The divisional applications, 08/473,119 and 08/475,352, include
claims to DNA and antibody based diagnostic methods, drug screening
assays, therapeutic applications utilizing antibody conjugates or
ligands which block the binding of an activating ligand to erbB-3;
activating or blocking ligands which bind to erbB-3. (portfolio:
Cancer--Diagnostics, in vitor, MAb based; Cancer--Diagnostics, in vivo,
MAb; Cancer--Therapeutics, immunoconjugates, MAb; Cancer--Research
Reagents)
Peptide Antagonist of Keratinocyte Growth Factor Activity
D Bottaro, JS Rubin, SA Aaronson (NCI)`
Filed 04 May 93
Serial No. 08/059,030
A novel peptide antagonist of the keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)
activity has been isolated that may prove to be an effective treatment
for diseases in which activation of the KGF receptor plays a role.
Growth factors are important mediators of intercellular communication.
These molecules are generally released by one cell type and influence
proliferation of other cell types. Interest in growth factors has been
heightened by evidence of their involvement in neoplasia. In addition,
a number of oncogenes are homologs of genes encoding growth factor
receptors, and their receptor-mediated signal transduction pathways
provide insights into mechanisms of both normal and malignant cell
growth. The fibroblast growth factor family affects the growth of a
wide variety of cells including connective tissue cells. KGF is a
member of this family, but is unique in that its activity is restricted
to cells of epithelial origin. Since a vast majority of human
malignancies are derived from epithelial tissues, identification of
compounds that modulate the effect of KGF may be important in the
treatment of carcinomas as well as other conditions in which ligand-
dependent proliferation, mediated by the KGF receptor, contributes to
the pathologic disorder. These novel peptides effectively inhibit
binding between KGF and its epithelial cell receptor and, thus, are
useful in treating carcinomas and other conditions involving epithelial
cell proliferation. (portfolio: Cancer--Therapeutics, biological
response modifiers, growth factors)
Expression Cloning of a Human Phosphatase
SA Aaronson, DP Bottaro, T Ishibashi, T Miki (NCI)
U.S. Serial No. 07/988,273 filed 14 Dec 92; WO 94/13796, PCT/US93/
12019
U.S. Patent No. 5,512,434 issued 30 Apr 96
The identification of genes has traditionally been accomplished
through the use of nucleic acid hybridization. In general, highly
conserved sequences or DNA structures which are associated with a
particular function or gene family are used in hybridization techniques
in order to discover other related genes and associated polypeptide
products. This is accomplished by construction of nucleic acid probes
corresponding to those conserved DNA sequences of interest. The present
invention involves ``expression cloning,'' and provides an alternative
method of isolating genes of interest by using the expression of the
polypeptide corresponding to that gene as a means of screening clones
containing the gene. The invention describes methods of detecting
clones containing the functional polypeptide either directly, or
through immunological methods. The invention further describes a new
dual specificity protein tyrosine phosphatase, called VHR, discovered
using this method. This phosphatase is structurally unrelated to other
commonly known enzymes with similar function and provides support for
the invention's utility. The invention also describes methods for
treatment of VHR related disease. This invention is ideally suited for
use in the isolation of previously unknown genes with similar functions
of interest. The invention allows isolation of fewer false positive
clones because DNA sequences with areas of high structural homology but
dissimilar function, will not be identified. The invention, in
contrast, favors the isolation of clones which are structurally
disparate, yet functionally equivalent. (portfolio: Gene Based
Therapies--Diagnostics; Gene-Based Therapies--Research Tools and
Reagents; Devices/Instrumentation--Diagnostics, physical medicine;
Devices/Instrumentation--Research Tools, methods; Devices/
Instrumentation--Biologicals and Chemicals)
The Many Roles of Adrenomedulin in Human Pathology and Physiology
FF Cuttitta (NCI)
DHHS Reference No. E-206-95/0 filed 18 Aug 95 and
DHHS Reference No. E-206-95/1 filed 30 Aug 95
Adrenomedullin (AM) is a -amidated 52-amino acid peptide
that shows slight similarity to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
The effects of AM and its fragments in the cardiovascular system have
been widely studied. Endothelial cells secrete the peptide that acts on
specific receptors present in the vascular smooth muscle cells and
other contractile cells. Some diuretic functions have been also
described. In the respiratory system, two major roles have been
described to date: relaxation of the vascular bed and bronchodilation.
The present invention provides methods for the prevention and
treatment of cancers, in particular, lung, colon, ovarian, and breast
cancers by inhibiting the growth of the cancerous cells with an
effective amount of anti-AM monoclonal antibody. This invention
provides methods for diagnosing or monitoring diseases by measuring the
levels of AM in a sample. Examples of diseases include, diabetes, renal
diseases, such as severe uremia; bone diseases, such as neoplastic
[[Page 39464]]
disease; and skin diseases. The present invention also provides a
method of preventing or treating type II diabetes using the anti-AM
monoclonal antibody. AM peptides and antibodies can also be utilized
for diagnosis and treatment of preeclampsia and to promote fetal
growth.
The present invention provides a method of regulating activity in
areas of the central nervous system by administering to a subject an
effective amount of AM peptides or antibodies for the regulation of
neurotransmission or neuron growth. i.e. Alzheimer's disease.
Administering antibodies to AM can inhibit the degranulation of mast
cells and provide a method of lessening or inhibiting the allergic
response due to the degranulation of mast cells. AM peptides have also
been found to inhibit bacterial or fungal growth and facilitate the
healing of chaffed skin, skin lesions, wound repair, and surgical
incisions. AM peptides promote organ and bone development. (portfolio:
Cancer--Therapeutics; Central Nervous System--Therapeutics; Infectious
Diseases--Therapeutics; Internal Medicine--Therapeutics)
Dated: July 17, 1996.
Barbara M. McGarey,
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Transfer.
[FR Doc. 96-19180 Filed 7-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-M
