Sound Attenuation Canopy for Reducing Noise Transmitted Through Suspended Ceilings

Available for licensing and commercial implementation in commercial facilities design and construction are intellectual property rights covering a sound attenuation canopy for reducing noise transmitted through suspended ceiling systems commonly used in most office buildings. The canopy is designed to absorb sound energy and effectively reduce the direct path of sound travelling within open plenum suspended ceilings like those used in most office building environments.

Full-Length Infectious cDNA Clones of Tick Borne Flavivirus

The tick-borne encephalitis virus complex of flavivirus family includes tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV), Kyasanur forest disease, Langat, Louping ill, Negishi, Omsk hemorrhagic fever and Povassan viruses. These viruses are endemic throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere and except for Langat, cause human disease of varying severity that can have mortality as high as 20 to 30%.

Compounds That Treat Malaria and Prevent Malaria Transmission

Malaria is the single leading cause of death, especially among children, in the developing world. Malaria is caused by infection with parasites of the genus Plasmodium, transmitted by mosquitos. In addition to transmission, vital steps in the parasite lifecycle occur in the mosquito host. The invention offered for licensing relates to therapeutic compounds and related pharmaceutical compositions that can be used in the prevention and treatment of malaria infection.

Mouse IL-12p40 Expressing Cell Line

The subject invention is a recombinant human 293T cell line that expresses mouse IL-12p40 protein to high levels. IL-12p40 is a subunit of both Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-23; however, it can also be expressed as a monomer (IL-12p40) and as a homodimer (IL-12p80). IL-12p40 is produced mainly by antigen presenting cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, microglia, and dendritic cells in response to pathogens or inflammatory agents. It is an immunostimulatory messenger molecule that can disseminate in the body and signal the presence of a pathogen.

Mouse Model for Cerebral Cavernous Malformation, an Inherited Brain Disorder

Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) is a brain disease affecting up to 0.5% of the worldwide population. CCM is characterized by grossly dilated vessels prone to leaking and hemorrhage which result in severe headaches, seizures, and strokes. Inherited forms of the disease are due to mutations in one of three loci, CCM1, CCM2, and CCM3. Prior efforts to develop mice with targeted null mutations in Ccm1, Ccm2, or Ccm3 have been unsuccessful, as such mutations result in embryonic death.

Multivalent Vaccines for Rabies Virus and Filoviruses

No vaccine candidates against Ebola virus (EBOV) or Marburg virus (MARV) are nearing licensure and the need to develop a safe and efficacious vaccine against filoviruses continues. Whereas several preclinical vaccine candidates against EBOV or MARV exist, their further development is a major challenge based on safety concerns, pre-existing vector immunity, and issues such as manufacturing, dosage, and marketability. The inventors have developed a new platform based on live or chemically inactivated (killed) rabies virus (RABV) virions containing EBOV glycoprotein (GP) in their envelope.

Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies Efficient for Neutralization of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV)

TBEV causes serious illnesses from meningitis to meningo-encephalitis, totaling 3,000 cases of hospitalization in Europe and between 5,000-10,000 cases in Russia reported every year. The Far Eastern hemorrhagic TBEV strains are associated with a mortality rate (between 1-2%), higher than other strains isolated in the Siberia or Western Europe. There is a high proportion (up to 46%) of TBEV patients with temporary or permanent neurological sequelae.

Protease Deficient Bacillus anthracis with Improved Recombinant Protein Yield Capabilities

Species of Bacillus, such as Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus subtilis, are attractive microorganisms for recombinant protein production in view of their fast growth rate, high yield, and ability to secrete produced products directly into the medium. Bacillus anthracis is also attractive in view of its ability to produce anthrax toxin and ability to fold proteins correctly. This application claims a B. anthracis strain in which more than one secreted protease is inactivated by genetic modification.

A Method to Expand a Population of Regulatory T Cells Optimal for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

The transfusion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been used in the clinic to successfully prevent graft vs. host disease and is currently being evaluated in the treatment of other autoimmune diseases, such as organ graft rejection, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Prior to transfusion, adoptive regulatory T cell transfer requires the expansion of regulatory T cells in culture; this results in a mixed population of regulatory T cells that limits the effectiveness of the transferred cells.

Antimalarial Inhibitors that Target the Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel (PSAC) Protein and Development of the PSAC Protein as Vaccine Targets

There are two related technologies, the first being small molecule inhibitors of the malarial plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC) and the second being the PSAC protein itself as a vaccine candidate. The PSAC protein is produced by the malaria parasite within host erythrocytes and is crucial for mediating nutrient uptake. In vitro data show that the PSAC inhibitors are able to inhibit growth of malaria parasites, have high specificity, and low toxicity.