A Mouse Model for Human Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and affects more than 20 million Americans, costing billions of dollars in health care annually. Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of joint cartilage, leading to a loss of the cartilage "cushion" between the bones of the joints. Risk factors associated with OA include age, obesity, traumatic injury and overuse due to sports or occupational stresses. There is no cure for OA and current treatments are directed at the symptomatic relief of pain, and at improving and maintaining joint function.

Micropatterning of Extracellular Matrix Proteins Using Microphoto-ablation Of Poly vinyl Alcohol (PVA) Monolayers

Available for licensure and commercial development is a micro-photoablation (µPA) method used as a micro-patterning technique to attach ECM proteins or other biological molecules to specified locations. Advantages of this photolytic technique are that it: (a) is stampless, (b) allows for flexible pattern generation to the submicron level, (c) allows for live cell fluorescence imaging, retains cell viability, and (d) allows the use of multiple proteins.

Antigen Mixtures for Serological Detection of HHV-8 Infection

This invention describes a highly specific and sensitive serological test for human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection that uses the Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System (LIPS). A mixture of four virus-specific antigens, including K8.1, v-cyclin, ORF65 and LANA, was shown to provide more robust detection of HHV-8 infection than traditional methods due its ability to detect very low viral loads.

Monoclonal Antibody Against Human Alpha-5 Integrin that Does Not Disrupt Adhesive Function

This technology includes a rat monoclonal antibody termed mAb11 was generated against the human alpha-5 integrin subunit and can provide immunological characterizations without disrupting integrin adhesive function. It permits characterization of its localization even if the receptor is bound to its fibronectin ligand. The antibody is commercially available from Millipore Sigma.

First in class Small Molecule Agonists of the mammalian Relaxin family receptor 1 (RXFP1) and use in treatment of cancer, fibrotic, and vascular disorders (HHS Ref No. E-145-2024-0-US-02)

It is well documented in literature that activation of RXFP1 by relaxin induces: 1) up-regulation of the endothelin system which leads to vasodilation; 2) extracellular matrix remodeling through regulation of collagen deposition, cell invasiveness, proliferation, and overall tissue homeostasis; 3) a moderation of inflammation by reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-a and TGF-b; and 4) angiogenesis by activating transcription of VEGF.

A Method to Remove Fluid-motion Related Artifacts in Magnetic Resonance Thermometry Images Using Magnetic Field Gradients

This technology includes the incorporation of a magnetic field gradient waveform (consisting of two or more pulses) between excitation and encoding to eliminate signal from moving fluid for imaging applications. Proton Resonance Frequency (PRF) thermometry is a widely used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) based technique to monitor changes in tissue temperature in response to thermal therapy. The use of PRF thermometry with thermal therapy procedures is indispensable to ensure delivery of desired thermal dose to the target tissue, and to minimize unintended damage to the normal tissue.

SARS-CoV-2 Virus Specimen and Material Sharing

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have been rewarded for their partnership from the 2021 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) awards. The CDC and NIAID had already developed a new approach to sharing samples during a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) during the Zika pandemic, which enabled them to respond quickly and efficiently to access and share samples of SARS-CoV-2 early in the outbreak.

Rapid Sharing of SARS-CoV-2 Prefusion Stabilized Spike Proteins and Plasmids

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Within hours of the public release of the viral genome sequence, scientists at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and their collaborators engineered a key protein from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to enable its study as a vaccine candidate and for research applications.

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