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Periodontal disease occurs in 10-20% of adults, and constitutes a major cause of tooth loss. About 0.5% of U.S. adolescents between the ages of 14 to 17 years old (about 70,000) have localized early onset periodontitis and 0.1% (17,000) have the more destructive form known as generalized early onset periodontitis. Both types of early onset periodontitis often lead to tooth loss before the age of 20. Extrapolation of these figures up to age 35 leads to estimates of early onset periodontitis having a major impact on the dental health of 400,000 individuals in the U.S. population.

These patent applications describe the cloning and characterization of the full-length genome of adeno-associated virus type 4 (AAV4). AAV4, like other members of the AAV family, may be useful as a vector for gene therapy.

Enteric viruses like norovirus, rotavirus and astrovirus mainly transmit through fecal-oral route by ingestion of contaminated food and water and productively replicate in the intestines. Recently, researchers at National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) identified a second route of enteric viral transmission by demonstrating that these viruses also productively and persistently infect salivary glands, reaching titers comparable to that in intestines.

This technology includes a sensitive and specific method to rapidly detect antibodies in biofluids. This assay has been used for the detection of antibodies in blood, urine, and saliva. Until now, no one has used LIPS to detect clinically relevant antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid (N) or Spike (S) in saliva. Briefly, LIPS employs recombinantly synthesized target proteins or peptides (e.g., S and N proteins) tagged with light-emitting proteins as targets to be captured by host produced immunoglobulins. These immunoglobulins can be captured by protein A/G beads and immobilized.

This technology includes an immunoassay to measure SARS-CoV-2 antibodies against the nucleocapsid and spike proteins.

The invention described and claimed in these patent applications provides for novel hybrid vectors which may be used for cell transformation either in vivo, in vitro, or ex vivo. The hybrid vectors, which are capable of integrating into the chromosome of the host cell and are capable of transducing dividing and non-dividing cells, have an adenoviral serotype 5 backbone and two retroviral (Moloney murine leukemia virus) elements upstream and downstream of the transgene.

The claimed invention provides highly specific and sensitive methods for in vivo, in vitro, or ex vivo imaging of specific extracellular protease activity using an anthrax binary toxin system. The system targets cells that express extracellular proteases of interest. Such a system would be highly useful since various studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between the activity of extracellular proteases and various diseases and undesirable physiological conditions.

Angiogenesis, the recruitment of new blood vessels, is recognized as an important factor in tumor proliferation in many types of cancer. It is generally accepted that therapeutic approaches that inhibit angiogenesis effectively limit, or even prevent, the formation of solid tumors. It has also been shown that anti-angiogenic therapeutics allow conventional radiation therapy and chemotherapy to be more effective.

This invention pertains to certain compounds that inhibit angiogenesis in a previously unrecognized way.

Many individuals with ongoing and severe dental problems are faced with the prospect of permanent tooth loss. Examples of such dental problems include: dentinal degradation due to chronic dental disease (caries or periodontal); mouth injury; or through surgical removal, such as with tumors associated with the jaw. For many, a technology that offers a possible alternative to artificial dentures by designing and transplanting a set of living teeth fashioned from an individual's own pulp cells would greatly improve their quality of life.

The vanilloid receptor (VR) is a cation channel predominantly expressed on the peripheral processes and perikarya of nociceptive primary afferent neurons. Previous studies have shown that activation of the peripheral receptors by agonists such as capsaicin from hot peppers, or the much more potent resiniferatoxin, produces acute pain sensation which may be followed by desensitization. These inventors discovered that administration of VR agonists in the vicinity of neuronal cell bodies expressing the VR receptor can actually destroy those cells.