Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease with Synthetic Amphipathic Peptides

The invention is directed to treatment of chronic kidney disease by administering a synthetic, amphipathic helical peptide known as 5A-37pA, and novel derivatives thereof. Scientists at NIDDK have demonstrated that invention peptides antagonize activity of a particular scavenger receptor known as CD36. Using an in vivo model, NIDDK scientists have shown that invention peptides slowed progression of chronic kidney disease and can potentially be utilized as a therapeutic treatment.

A Device to Measure Force Continuously During Handgrip Contraction and Relaxation for Myotonic Dystrophies

This invention relates to two devices that reliably, sensitively, and accurately measures force during handgrip contraction and subsequent relaxation. A delayed relaxation after a sustained and forceful handgrip is a cardinal symptom of myotonic dystrophies (DM). This delayed relaxation, handgrip myotonia, may be a therapeutic response biomarker in clinical trials.

Monoclonal Antibodies To Prevent or Treat SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an immense public health, social, and economic burden. Variants of concern continue to emerge that have increased transmissibility, pathogenicity, or both and that reduce the effectiveness of current therapeutics and vaccines. Thus, there is a great need for broadly protective therapeutics.

Human Cell Lines with Mannosyl Oligosaccharide Glucosidase (MOGS) Defect for the Study and Prevention of Infection

This technology includes human cell lines from patients who have genetic defects in MOGS, the gene encoding mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase, causing the rare congenital disorder of glycosylation type IIb, also known as MOGS-CDG. This defects appears to impair the ability of viruses to infect a second round of cells, which can be used to study and prevent infections. This is likely related to impaired viral replication and cellular entry. This finding has implications for Ebola and Zika, as well as other viral infections.

Pain Control by the Selective Local Ablation of Nociceptive Neurons

The vanilloid receptor (VR) is a cation channel predominantly expressed on the peripheral processes and perikarya of nociceptive primary afferent neurons. Previous studies have shown that activation of the peripheral receptors by agonists such as capsaicin from hot peppers, or the much more potent resiniferatoxin, produces acute pain sensation which may be followed by desensitization. These inventors discovered that administration of VR agonists in the vicinity of neuronal cell bodies expressing the VR receptor can actually destroy those cells.

Antigen Mixtures for Serological Detection of HHV-8 Infection

This invention describes a highly specific and sensitive serological test for human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection that uses the Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System (LIPS). A mixture of four virus-specific antigens, including K8.1, v-cyclin, ORF65 and LANA, was shown to provide more robust detection of HHV-8 infection than traditional methods due its ability to detect very low viral loads.

Simple, Quantitative Sensitive High-throughput Antibody Detection for Lyme Disease

This technology is for compositions and methods for diagnosis of Lyme disease. Currently, Lyme disease is diagnosed by clinical exam and a history of exposure to endemic regions. Although, laboratory tests may aid diagnosis, the best tests currently available are slow and labor intensive and require understanding of the test, and infection stage. A two-step antibody based test process is currently the recommended laboratory test. The first step is either an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), or an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA).

Multi-Foci Sonications For Hyperthermia Treatments Using Magnetic Resource-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MR-HIFU)

Hyperthermia has been used extensively and successfully in the treatment of solid tumors. For accessible solid tumors with impressive efficacy not amenable to surgery, ablative hyperthermia (>55°C for 20 s to 15 min) has been used as a definitive treatment. By contrast, for both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, mild hyperthermia (40-45°C for up to 1 hour) has been shown useful as an adjuvant.

AngleNav: Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMs) Trackers to Facilitate Computed Topography (CT)-Guided Needle Puncture

Conventional free-hand needle puncture procedures for biopsy and other procedures, often rely on unguided manual movements to guide a needle to its destination. Freehand procedures risk missing the tumor, or accidental injury, such as puncturing a vital organ. Needle guidance systems may improve accuracy and reduce risks but available guidance technologies are cumbersome and expensive and may carry other risks.

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