Researchers at the NCI Radiation Oncology Branch and NIH CIT Center for Molecular Modeling developed a tetrahydroxamate chelation technology that provides a more-stable Zr-89 complex as an immuno-PET cancer imaging agent. In either the linear or the macrocyclic form, the tetrahydroxamate complexes exhibit greater stability as chelating agents compared to Zr-89 complexed to the siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB), a trihydroxamate, which represent
The successful development of new cancer therapeutics requires reliable preclinical data that are obtained from mouse models for cancer. Human tumor xenografts, which require transplantation of human tumor cells into an immune compromised mouse, represent the current standard mouse model for cancer. Since the immune system plays an important role in tumor growth, progression and metastasis, the current standard mouse model is not ideal for accurate prediction of therapeutic effectiveness in patients.
The Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-ß) ligands (i.e., TGF-ß1, -ß2, -ß3) are key regulatory proteins in animal physiology. Disruption of normal TGF-ß signaling is associated with many diseases from cancer to fibrosis. In mice and humans, TGF-ß activates TGF-ß receptors (e.g., TGFBR1), which activates SMAD proteins that alter gene expression and contribute to tumorigenesis. Reliable animal models are essential for the study of TGF-ß signaling.
The National Cancer Institute seeks interested parties to co-develop transgenic mice having immunocompetent rat growth hormone-firefly Luciferase-enhanced green fluorescent protein.
Studies have shown that Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2) suppresses tumor growth and tumor-associated angiogenesis. Currently, the main obstacle in using TIMP-2 as a biologic therapeutic has been the inability to produce sufficient quantities of the protein for testing and development.
The invention listed below is owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and is available for licensing and/or co-development in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR part 404 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development.
Cancer stem cells are a minority population of cells in tumors that initiate and sustain the cancer and which are resistant to therapy; they may cause tumors to recur after curative treatment. Current therapies generally do not target cancer stem cells.
Scientists at NIAID have developed two immortalized stable B cell lines from rhesus macaques that can have value as research tools for the discovery of neutralizing antibodies of simian origin against HIV and that may have value in the development of an HIV vaccine. These B cell lines encode human Bcl-6 and Bcl-xL proteins, which are major regulators of apoptosis. These B cell lines are derived from the lymph node of a rhesus macaque (RM) that was infected with SHIV.CH505.
NIAID scientists have developed plasmids that allow for production of pseudoviruses expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. As SARS-CoV-2 is a lethal airborne virus, it must be handled in high-containment Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories that require strict airflow, ventilation and decontamination procedures.