Antibodies to TMC1 Protein for Hearing Loss

This technology includes antibodies for TMC1 protein as a treatment for hearing loss. TMC1 is one of the common genes causing hereditary hearing loss. Our laboratory used synthetic peptides corresponding to the TMC1 protein to immunize rabbits. The resulting antisera were shown to bind to TMC1 protein expressed in heterologous expression systems. TMC1 protein is required for the transduction of sound into electrical impulses in inner ear sensory cells.

Alpha-galactosidase-A Knockout Mouse Model for Studying Fabry Disease

This technology includes an alpha-galactosidase-A knockout mouse model that can be used to study Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder. Alpha-galactosidase-A is a crucial enzyme responsible for the breakdown of glycolipids, particularly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), within lysosomes. In Fabry disease, a rare and inherited lysosomal storage disorder, mutations in the GLA gene lead to deficient or non-functional alpha-galactosidase-A enzyme activity.

EV-D68 Monoclonal Antibodies Isolated from Immunized Rhesus Macaques

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been linked to the widespread outbreaks of respiratory illness and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in the United States and Europe in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Although EV-D68 is now the most frequently encountered enterovirus (41.1% of cases), with an estimated global prevalence of 4%, there are no specific, FDA-approved therapeutic interventions targeting this virus.

Anti-Nucleoprotein Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Monoclonal Antibodies for Assay Creation

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread form of viral hemorrhagic fever, found in Eastern and Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern China, central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Typically beginning with non-specific fever, myalgia, nausea, diarrhea, and general malaise, symptoms of infection with the tick-borne CCHF virus (CCHFV) can rapidly progress to hemorrhagic manifestations, with case fatality rates as high as 30-40% in some regions.

Modified Bacterial Strain for Otitis Media Vaccine

This invention relates to a strain of Moraxella catarrhalis containing a gene mutation that prevents endotoxic lipooligosaccharide (LOS) synthesis and potential use of the mutant for developing novel vaccines against the pathogen, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine. M. catarrhalis is one of the causative agents of otitis media (middle ear infection), sinusitis, and lung infections. The mutant is defective in the lpxA gene, whose enzyme product is relevant in lipid A biosynthesis (lipid A is part of the LOS).

Model for Study of Glomerular Disorders: Conditionally-Immortalized Mouse Podocyte Cell Line with Tet-on-Regulated Gene Expression

Podocytes, cells of the visceral epithelium in the kidneys, are a key component of the glomerular filtration barrier. As such, they play a vital role in glomerular disorders, which are a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Examples of these disorders include focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous glomerulonephritis, minimal change disease, and diabetic nephropathy.

Aquaporin 2 Polyclonal Antibodies

Aquaporins, also known as water channels, form pores in cell membranes and selectively transport water in and out of the cell. Aquaporins are involved in regulation of water balance and blood pressure, and thirteen different isoforms have been found in mammals. Aquaporin 2 (AQP2) is located in the collecting duct of the kidney, and is regulated by the peptide hormone vasopressin. AQP2 expression is increased in conditions where there is water retention, such as pregnancy and congestive heart failure, and mutations of AQP2 are associated with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Myosin-Based Protein-Protein Interaction Assay

Investigators at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have developed an assay for the detection of protein-protein interactions in living cells. This assay uses readily-available reagents and straightforward techniques that avoid the difficulty of purifying proteins or generating antibodies required for other binding studies. Proof-of-concept for this assay has been demonstrated, and a manuscript is in preparation for publication.
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