Vaccines Against Malarial Diseases

The invention offered for licensing is in the field of use of vaccines for malaria. The invention provides gene sequences encoding an erythrocyte binding protein of a malaria pathogen for the expression of the erythrocyte binding protein. The codon composition of the synthetic gene sequences approximates the mammalian codon composition. The synthetic gene sequences are useful for incorporation into DNA vaccine vectors, for the incorporation into various expression vectors for production of malaria proteins, or both.

T-Cell-Specific Gfi-1 Knockout Mouse

This is a mouse model available to study T-cell differentiation. Growth factor independent 1 (GFi-1) is a transcriptional repressor that is transiently induced during T-cell activation. This knockout mouse line is a GFi-1[flox/flox] introduced into a mouse Cre controlled by a CD4 promoter, which allows selective removal of GFi-1 exclusively in T-cells. It has thus-far been used to demonstrate that GFi-1 plays a critical role in enhancing Th2 cell expansion and repressing induction of Th17 and CD103+ iTreg cells.

Methods to Increase Stability of Recombinant Vaccinia-Vectored Vaccines and Increase Expression of a Foreign Gene Inserted in Such Vaccines

The technology offered for licensing is in the field of vaccinia-based recombinant vaccines. In particular the invention relates to methods of stabilizing the recombinant virus, thus resulting in efficient production of the vaccine and efficient expression of the inserted gene. Stabilization of the recombinant virus is achieved by the insertion of the exogenous gene into an intergenic region (IGR) of the viral genome (i.e. Modified Vaccinia Ankara, MVA), where the IGR is flanked by open reading frames of conserved poxvirus genes.

Moraxella Catarrhalis Lipooligosaccharide Based Conjugate Vaccines for the Prevention of Otitis Media and Respiratory Infections

Moraxella catarrhalis is one of the three leading causative agents of otitis media in children. This is due in part to the current immunizations of children with Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines to prevent otitis media. The proportion of otitis media caused by pneumococcal strains covered by the vaccines have decreased while those caused by Moraxella catarrhalis and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae have significantly increased.

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.

Novel Antigen for Use as Vaccine Against Nematode Infection

This invention describes a new vaccine against Strongyoides stercoralis, which establishes a parasitic infection that affects an estimated 100-200 million people worldwide. The potential for fatal disease associated with S. stercoralis infection and the difficulty in treating hyperinfection underscores the need for prophylactic vaccines against the disease. This vaccine uses S. stercoralis immunoreactive antigen (SsIR); a novel antigen capable of providing 70-90 % protection for mice immunized with the antigen.

Method of Producing Immortalized Primary Human Keratinocytes for HPV Investigation, Testing of Therapeutics, and Skin Graft Generation

One of the major limitations of using cultured keratinocytes for research studies is that primary keratinocytes senesce after a few passages. Keratinocytes from specific anatomical sites are also difficult to culture. Scientists at the NIH have demonstrated that primary keratinocytes, from several anatomical sites, when treated with a small-molecule inhibitor of the ROCK protein maintain a proliferative state and become immortal without genetic modification to the cells.

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%.

Prevention and Treatment of Herpes Virus Infection by Inhibition of the JMJD2 Family of Histone Demethylases

Investigators at the NIH have discovered a potential means for preventing or treating a herpes virus infection by inhibiting the activity of the host cell’s histone demethylases. When herpesviruses enter a cell, they are inactivated by cellular defense mechanisms that wrap the viral genome in repressive chromatin structures. In order for viral replication to progress, the host’s own histone demethylases are recruited to the viral genome to reverse this repression.

Mouse Anti-Mouse CXCL9 (Mig) Monoclonal Antibodies

This technology describes monoclonal antibodies against mouse chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 9 (CXCL9), also known as Monokine induced by gamma interferon (Mig). CXCL9 is a secreted protein that functions to attract white cells and increased expression of CXCL9 has been linked to several diseases. The inventors at the NIH generated over 100 anti-mouse CXCL9 antibodies from a CLXL9/Mig knockout mouse and further characterized several antibodies to show neutralization of CXCL9.