Iodonium Analogs as Inhibitors of NADPH Oxidases and other Flavin Dehydrogenases and their Use for Treating Cancer

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.

Murine metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed orthotopic allograft models for pancreatic cancer that utilize low passage primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells or tumor fragments implanted into the cancer-free pancreata of recipient syngeneic immunocompetent mice. Tumor development in these models is more synchronized, latency is substantially shortened, and tumors develop only in one location, as pre-determined by the choice of a site for cells/tumor fragment implantation.

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.

General-purpose Deep Learning Image Denoising Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Physics

This technology includes a novel method to train deep learning convolution neural network model to improve the signal-noise-ratio for the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The novelty lies on the fact that actual MR imaging physics information is used in the deep learning training. The resulting model achieves significant signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improved for different acceleration factors in MR imaging. The resulting model can be used for many body anatomies (e.g., brain, heart, liver, spine, etc.) to significantly improve the SNR.

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.

Methods of Detecting Loss of Heterozygosity and Damaging Mutations in Immune-Related Genes Using Liquid Biopsies

Summary: 
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks co-development partners and/or licensees for a liquid biopsy diagnostic assay capable of detecting loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and somatic mutations in genes important for antigen processing and presentation and interferon-γ response pathways.

Method for HLA LOH Detection in Liquid Biopsies

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) LOH (LOH) is a known resistance mechanism by which cancers evade T cell receptor-(TCR-)based immunotherapies. This class of therapies includes immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI, e.g., Pembrolizumab), engineered TCR (T cell receptor)-T cell adoptive transfer, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), T-cell engagers, and other modalities. Dozens of therapies in this category were developed with many in clinical trials. The resistance mechanism noted here, HLA LOH, causes these therapies to fail.