Licensees Sought for Adeno-Associated Virus for Gene Therapy

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the NIH has a great non-exclusive license opportunity available to commercialize a novel adeno-associated virus termed “44-9” (AAV44-9) vector for gene therapy. AAV44-9 based vectors have high gene transfer activity in many cell types and neurons. These vectors can increase the transduction efficiency and decrease the potential of being neutralized by preexisting antibodies compared to the wild-type AAV.

Preliminary results from animal studies suggest that AAV44-9 vectors can efficiently deliver genes of interest, and the protein products of the delivered genes can be detected in the bloodstream and at the local tissues. This makes these vectors suitable for gene therapy for cells and tissues that are not efficiently targeted by other vectors.

The competitive advantage of this technology is the high gene transfer activity in many cell types including salivary gland cells, liver cells, as well as different types of neurons such as cells of the cortex, olfactory bulb, brain stem, and Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.

NIDCR is in search of licensees for this technology. If you are interested in more information about this technology, please visit the abstract or contact Vladimir Knezevic at vlado.knezevic@nih.gov.