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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.

This technology includes a small molecule drug (VDAC inhibitor, also known as VBIT4) that may be useful for inhibiting lupus disease. To test lupus animal model, VBIT4 was continuously administered for 5 weeks to mice and there was no mortality or clinical symptoms in these animals. Additionally, VBIT4 treatment blocked the development of skin lesions and alopecia of the ears and face, and suppressed the thickening of the epidermis that accompanies leukocyte infiltration.

Human cancers contain genetic mutations that are unique to each patient. Some of the mutated peptides are immunogenic, can be recognized by T cells, and therefore, may serve as therapeutic targets.

Interleukin (IL)-34 is a homodimer that is produced mainly by keratinocytes, neuronal cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs). It is believed to play important roles in chronic inflammation and the homeostasis of microglia. Currently, there is no effective treatment for many types of retinal degeneration. An improved treatment of autoimmune uveitis is also needed, as current uveitis treatment primarily uses steroidal anti-inflammation medication, which may produce significant unwanted side effects in long-term use.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is seeking interested parties to license or co-develop GDNFOS peptides and non-coding RNAs as therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases.

Triple negative (progesterone receptor (PR)-, estrogen receptor (ER)-, human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)-) breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype that affects 15-20% of the 1.7 million cases of breast cancer occurring annually.  Currently, standard treatments of TNBC include cytotoxic chemotherapies, surgery, and radiation. However, TNBC readily becomes resistant to chemotherapy, and those with TNBC are more likely to have a recurrence or die within five years compared to those with other breast cancer types.

Diverse human cancers like colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian, melanoma, and pre-cancers express NADPH oxidases (NOX) at high levels. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from metabolic reactions catalyzed by NOX in tumors are essential to the tumor’s growth. Though drugs that inhibit ROS production by NOX could be effective against a variety of human cancers, these types of drugs are not widely available.

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.

249 million people were afflicted with malaria in 2022. There are five Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans. Of the five, Plasmodium falciparum causes most of the incidence of human disease. Most advanced malaria vaccine candidates can confer only partial, short-term protection in malaria-endemic areas. The pathogenesis of malaria is associated with blood-stage infection and antibodies specific to the parasite blood-stage antigens may be able to control parasitemia.

This technology includes ten engineered human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines with reported genes inserted into safe harbor sites for use in therapy and diagnostic screening assay development as well as basic stem cell biology research. These cell lines have the potential to differentiate into all cells in the body, and theoretically can proliferate/self-renew indefinitely.