Establishment of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) from the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

The limited choice in cell types available for in vitro studies has become an obstacle in hibernation research. 

Researchers at the National Eye Institute for the first time have successfully established iPSC line(s) from a mammalian hibernator, which can be potentially used to generate various cell types and tissue models for in-depth mechanistic studies of hibernation and coldness tolerance in vitro. 

Strategies to Protect Mammalian Neural Tissue Against Cold and Potentially Other Metabolic Stresses and Physical Damages

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have discovered an invention describing a composition and method(s) of using such composition for preserving viability of cells, tissues, or organs at a low temperature (around 4ºC). Current cold storage solutions or methods for cells, tissues, and organs are suboptimal due to irreversible damage to cold-sensitive tissue or organ transplants that need a longer term of storage for facilitating clinical practices.

Generating Conditional and Reverse Conditional Loss-of-Function Alleles in Mouse Casq2

Summary:

 The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is seeking potential licensees interested in further developing or utilizing these Casq2 mouse strains. As a research tool, patent protection is not being pursued for this technology. More information to access these strains can be found here: https://www.jax.org/strain/036291 and https://www.jax.org/strain/036290.

Novel Human Immunogenic Epitopes of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus ERVMER34-1

Summary:

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for the clinical translation of novel peptide-based therapeutic cancer vaccines derived from ERVMER34-1, a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) antigen, offering a unique opportunity to address a significant unmet need in the treatment of various carcinomas.

Helical Guidewires and Related Systems for Transcatheter Heart Valve Procedures

This technology includes a guidewire purpose-built for delivery of bulky transcatheter heart valves (THV). Conventional THV guidewires are rigid and have a distal tip shaped like a pigtail to prevent apical ventricular perforation. This invention is a 3-dimensional helical or antihelical curve that can protect against apical perforation, possibly better, and that allows subtle 3-mensional deflection to aid the operator in achieving coaxiality or overcoming delivery obstacles such as calcific spicules.

Transcatheter MRI-guided Implantable Cavopulmonary Bypass Endograft for the Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease

This technology includes a catheter-delivered endograft designed to treat congenital heart disease without surgery. The specific surgical procedure averted is cavopulmonary bypass graft. The key innovations are features to effect distal end-to-side anastomosis and proximal end-to-end anastomosis without surgery. The system operates under X-ray and MRI guidance.

Enhancing Activity of Bispecific Antibodies in Combination with Ibrutinib for the Treatment of Cancer

This technology includes the combination of a kinase inhibitor (specifically ibrutinib) with a bispecific antibody (specifically a CD19/CD3 bispecific antibody) to be used to treat cancer. CD19/CD3 bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) can be used to recruit endogenous T cells against CD19+ tumor cells via the formation of cytolytic synapses. lbrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, has been shown to normalize T cell dysfunction characteristic of CLL.

Antibody Targeting of Cell Surface Deposited Complement Protein C3d as a Treatment for Cancer

This technology includes monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that specifically and with high affinity bind the final complement components C3dg and C3d (subsequently referred to as C3d), which can be used to kill tumor cells that carry C3d on their cell surface. We show that tumor cells of patients treated with the therapeutic anti-CD20 mAb ofatumumab carry C3d on the cell surface and can bind and be killed by addition of anti-C3 mAbs. In contrast, further addition of more ofatumumab has only minimal effects.