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Available for licensing from the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a novel gene signature of thirty-seven drug-responsive genes that links changes in gene expression to the clinically desirable outcome of improved overall survival. Expression of these genes has been linked to prognosis in several cancers, including, but not limited to: multiple myeloma, melanoma, and lung and breast cancers.

Griffithsin (GRFT) is a lectin with potent antiviral properties that is capable of preventing and treating infections caused by a number of enveloped viruses (including HIV, SARS, HCV, HSV, and Japanese encephalitis) and is currently in clinical development as an anti-HIV microbicide. In addition to its broad antiviral activity, GRFT is stable at high temperature and at a broad pH range, displays low toxicity and immunogenicity, and is amenable to large-scale manufacturing.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children with approximately 3,250 new cases occurring per year in the United States. About 20% of cases are refractory to current treatment protocols and there is a desperate need for targeted therapies that do not result in adverse side effects such as cognitive impairment. 

This technology from the NCI Molecular Imaging Program relates to a Zirconium-89 (89Zr)-oxine complex for cell labeling, tracking of labeled cells by whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging, and associated methods. A long half-life of 89Zr (78.4 hours), high sensitivity of PET, and absence of background signal in the recipient enable tracking cells over a week using low levels of labeling radioactivity without causing cellular toxicity.

Norovirus is a leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness worldwide, with 700 million cases and 200,000 deaths occurring each year. Despite decades of work in the field, there are no preventive or therapeutic strategies specifically approved for even the most prevalent forms of human norovirus (i.e., GI, GII genogroups), which are highly contagious and carry an increased risk of severe complications in children, older adults, and those with immunocompromising conditions. 

This technology includes a fully automated computer aided diagnosis system to quantify myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) pixel maps from the first-pass contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion images. This system performs automated image registration, motion compensation, segmentation, and modeling to extract quantitative features from different myocardial regions of interest.

This technology includes a family of small-molecule antagonists that selectively block the 5-HT_2B serotonin receptor—an upstream driver of tissue-remodeling—to address fibrotic, cardiopulmonary and related disorders. Built on a conformationally-locked “(N)-methanocarba” nucleoside scaffold, the compounds show nanomolar potency, >30–400-fold selectivity over the closely related 5-HT_2C receptor, and favorable oral bioavailability in rodents.

Immortalization of plasma cells leads to Multiple Myeloma (MM). Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule F7 (SLAMF7) is highly expressed on the malignant plasma cells that constitute Multiple Myeloma. The expression of SLAMF7 by MM cells and lack of expression on nonhematologic cells makes SLAMF7 a promising target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for the treatment of MM.