The NCI Radiation Oncology Branch and the NHLBI Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics seek parties to co-develop fluorescent nanodiamonds for use as in vivo and in vitro optical tracking probes toward commercialization.
The National Cancer Institute, Cancer and Inflammation Program seeks parties interested in collaborative research to further co-develop inhibitors of STAT proteins for the treatment of cancer.
Gene therapy is a promising strategy to treat a wide range of human diseases, and several gene therapy vectors have been developed to deliver these novel treatments. However, risks and challenges of using these vectors remain, such as: gene integration, potential infection, immune response and maintaining long term, stable gene expression. Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) provide a unique opportunity to develop a new generation of nonviral vectors for therapeutic use as gene expression and delivery systems.
Thymoma and thymic carcinomas are a rare and poorly understood group of malignancies. Despite the growing number of biomarkers that are used for diagnosing and treating carcinomas in general, cancers of the thymus are still diagnosed, stratified and treated by a costly combination of histology, surgery and radiological procedures. The lack of qualified biomarkers associated with thymomas and thymic carcinomas has also hampered the development of targeted therapies.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with largely unfavorable outcomes due to a lack of effective treatment options for patients in the later state of disease. The gold standard of care for HCC patients with intermediate to locally advanced tumors is transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), a procedure whereby the tumor is targeted both with local chemotherapy and restriction of local blood supply. TACE procedures are often not effective however, and a need exists to identify patients that will respond to TACE.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer covering anatomic surfaces (e.g. lining of the lungs, heart, abdomen, etc.) that resists multi-modality therapies. Regional recurrence of mesothelioma from residual tumor cells prevents long-term benefits after surgical resection. Furthermore, there is no clinical consensus on intracavitary adjuvants that are effective in extending the tumor reduction effect of surgery.
T cells with T cell receptors (TCRs) for cancer-specific antigens are used for adoptive cell therapy (ACT), wherein a patient’s T cells are redirected against their own cancer. However, these isolated T cells may require further ex vivo manipulation to enhance their anti-tumor activity. The ex vivo manipulation of these T cells, or the selection of less functionally inert T cells, and genetic insertion of tumor specific TCRs may circumvent these limitations.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking parties interested in licensing software for the automated determination of macromolecular structures using cryo-electron microscopy.
The HIV-positive population continues to rise despite a worldwide decline in the rates of infection caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV virus continues to spread due to a lack of effective vaccines and pre-exposure prophylaxis methods, even though the availability and effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy has helped reduce acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths.
T cell-based immunotherapy (such as CAR therapies) is a promising approach for the treatment of several cancers. However, T cells currently employed for various T cell-based immunotherapies are usually senescent and terminally differentiated leading to poor proliferative and survival capacity, limiting their therapeutic effectiveness once transferred into a patient’s blood.