Main Menu

CDC researchers have developed a real-time PCR assay for the detection and viral-load quantitative estimations of human bocavirus (HBoV) from clinical specimens. At present, there have been few reports on the epidemiology, geographic distribution or clinical features of HBoV infection. Additionally, symptoms affiliated with bocavirus infections overlap with numerous other respiratory illnesses. This CDC assay provides sensitive, specific, and quantitative detection of HBoV in patients with respiratory illness by a method of real-time PCR targeting the HBoV NS1 and NP-1 genes.

CDC researchers have developed methods for detecting retroviruses within a patient blood sample and discriminating HIV-1 samples within serum specimens. HIV-1 can be genetically classified into two major groups, group M (major) and Group O (outlier) with group O comprising all divergent viruses that do not cluster with group M. The identification of group O infections raised public health concerns about the safety of the blood supply because HIV-1 screening by group M-based serologic tests does not consistently detect group O infection.

This CDC generated invention entails improved methods of analyzing microneutralization assays, especially for the purposes of determining specific antibody concentrations and optimizing vaccine formulation. More specifically, the invention is a set of SAS based programs using 4-parameter logistic curve fitting algorithms to interpolate between individual data points, allowing for enhanced accuracy and precision when establishing neutralization titers.

CDC researchers have developed a fabrication process to create bifunctional microparticles displaying two distinct proteins that are spatially segregated onto a single hemispheric surface. At present, there is no described way of producing biological microparticles with two distinct types of separated proteins. Bifunctional Janus particles generated by the CDC approach possess biologically relevant, native conformation proteins attached to a biologically unreactive and safe substrate.

This invention comprises monoclonal antibodies, proteins, and related nucleic acid coding sequences that identify all or part of the antigenic anthrose oligosaccharide of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax toxicity in humans. It is imperative to identify virulent B. anthracis with speed and specificity, however there presently is substantial difficulty in early-stage recognition and diagnosis of anthrax inhalation.

CDC researchers have developed methods and adjuvants for enhancing a subject's immune response to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by inclusion of a CD40 binding protein. RSV has long been recognized as a major respiratory tract pathogen of infants, as well as older children and the elderly. Established, successful methods for preventing RSV are currently unavailable. CD40 ligand (CD40L, also known as CD154) is an important costimulatory molecule found on the T-cell and is critical for the development of immunity.

The invention relates to fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) and their uses as fiducial markers for microscopy. FNDs are bright fluorescent probes that do not blink or bleach and have broad fluorescence excitation and emission peaks. The fluorescence intensity can be readily controlled by the size of the FND, the number of fluorescent centers produced in the nanodiamonds, or in situ through the application of a weak magnetic field.

The invention pertains to software processes, additions, and docking approaches to Autodock Vina that speeds the rate and efficiency of analyzing ligand interactions with a receptor by cognate ligands and rewards conformations in the scoring algorithm for residue interactions that are based on the biological data. The score is multiplied by a weighting factor to control the degree of ligand-residue interactions that are considered. This multiplier is then added to the docking score for confirmation.

A unique method of potentiating the effect of anti-cancer immunotoxins has been developed, thus offering to significantly improve the treatment of a number of cancers as well as autoimmune diseases. Prolonged treatment of human cancers with classical methods such as radiation and chemotherapy, or a combination of both, may cause greater damage than the underlying disease because healthy tissue is often damaged along with diseased tissue.

Nuclear hormones such as glucocorticoids dampen inflammatory responses, and thus provide protection to mammals against inflammatory disease and septic shock. The Anthrax lethal factor represses nuclear hormone receptor activity, and thus may contribute to the infectious agent causing even more damage to the host. This observation can be exploited to find new means of studying and interfering with the normal function of nuclear hormone receptors.