Search Technologies

Researchers at the NCI have developed a method of improving the immune response in cancer immunotherapy by exploiting in the role of the Linker Adapted for T-Cell Signaling (LAT) molecule. The LAT molecular can enhance signaling through TCRs, thus, improving a patient’s own immune response to cancer or infectious diseases.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a number of analogs of the natural product englerin A, an inhibitor of renal cancer cell growth. Englerin A is thought to exert its anticancer effects by activating protein kinase C (PKC) theta, and exert cytotoxic effects through activation of transient receptor potential cation (TRPC) channels. The invention englerin analogues provide promising treatment strategies for various cancers, diabetes, and HIV, and other diseases associated with the PKC theta and/or TRPC ion channel proteins. Researchers at the NCI seek licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for englerin A analogue compounds.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks licensing of Bac-2-the-Future, an improved system for the production of recombinant baculovirus.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for a polymeric drug delivery platform that targets scavenger receptor A1 (SR-A1), a receptor highly expressed in macrophages, monocytes, mast cells, dendritic cells (myeloid lineages), and endothelial cells. The platform delivers various immunomodulatory therapeutic cargo including small molecule drugs, therapeutic peptides, and vaccines, to the lymphatic system and myeloid/antigen presenting cell (APC) sub-populations.

Pre-clinical radiotracer biomedical research involves the use of compounds labeled with radioisotopes, including radio-ligand bio-distribution studies, cell binding studies, immune cell labeling techniques, and α-based therapies. Before this Micro-Dose Calibrator, measurement of pre-clinical level dosage for small animal studies was inaccurate and unreliable. This dose calibrator is a prototype ready for customer testing and scale-up. It is designed to accurately measure radioactive doses in the range of 50 nCi (1.8 kBq) to 100 µCi (3.7 MBq) with 99% precision. The NCI seeks co-development or licensing to commercialize it. Alternative uses will be considered.

Engineered bacterial spores can provide many useful functions such as the treatment of infections, use as an adjuvant for the delivery of vaccines, and the enzymatic degradation of environmental pollutants. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology have developed a novel, synthetic spore husk-encased lipid bilayer (SSHEL) particle that is uniquely suited for a variety of these functions. NCI seeks partners to license and/or co-develop this technology toward commercialization.

Surgery specialists from Johns Hopkins University, in collaboration with researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), developed peptide hydrogel compositions and methods to suture blood vessels during microsurgery. The hydrogels particularly benefit surgeons in whole tissue transplant procedures. The NCI seeks co-development research collaborations for further development of this technology.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) RNA Biology Laboratory have developed nanoparticles that can deliver an agent (i.e., therapeutic or imaging) and release the agent upon targeted photoactivation allowing for controlled temporal and localized release of the agent.

Pluripotent stem cells are a promising source of T cells for a variety of clinical applications. However, current in vitro methods of T cell differentiation result in the generation of cells with aberrant phenotypes. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have now developed methodology for generating induced pluripotent stem cell thymic emigrants (iTE). Antigen-specific CD8αβ+ iTEs exhibited functional properties in vitro that were almost indistinguishable from natural naïve CD8αβ+ T cells, including vigorous expansion and robust anti-tumor activity. iTEs recapitulated many of the transcriptional programs of naïve T cells in vivo and revealed a striking capacity for engraftment, memory formation, and efficient tumor destruction. The NCI seeks licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for this invention.