Search Technologies

The promise of RNA interference based therapeutics is made evident by the recent surge of biotechnological drug companies that pursue such therapies and their progression into human clinical trials. The present technology discloses novel RNA  and RNA/DNA nanoparticles including multiple siRNAs, RNA aptamers, fluorescent dyes, and proteins. The National Cancer Institute sees parties interested licensing this technology  or in collaborative research to co-develop RNAi-based nanoparticle therapeutics for cancer and HIV.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for a T-cell receptor (TCR) that confers high-avidity recognition of the HPV-specific oncoprotein E6. The TCR may be used in an adoptive cell therapy approach utilizing genetically engineered lymphocytes to treat HPV-positive malignancies.

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

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute's Molecular Targets Laboratory have discovered that Cnidarins as a novel class of highly potent proteins capable of blocking the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells. The National Cancer Institute seeks parties interested in collaborative research to license or co-develop large-scale recombinant production of cnidarins.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed several novel small-molecule inhibitors directed against HPPK, a bacterial protein, as potential antimicrobial agents. The NCI seeks co-development partners or licensees to further develop these novel small-molecule HPPK inhibitors as broad-spectrum bactericidal agents.

The present invention describes novel virus-like particles (VLPs) that are capable of binding to and replicating within a target mammalian cell, including human cells. The claimed VLPs are safer than viral delivery because they are incapable of re-infecting target cells. The National Cancer Institute's Protein Expression Laboratory seeks parties interested in licensing the novel delivery of RNA to mammalian cells using virus-like particles.

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.

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.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks licensees for a mouse model of CD4+ T cell deficiency. The mice carry alleles with germline and conditional deletions of the Zbtb7b gene encoding the zinc finger transcription factor ThPOK or cKrox, essential for the development and function of CD4+ T cells.