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Proinflammatory T-helper 17 cells (Th17) play important roles in host immune defense against infection, but uncontrolled activation of these cells, known as the Th17 response, may cause autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases (uveitis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease) through the effects of Th17 lineage cytokines (such as, IL-17F, IL-22 and GM-CSF). Importantly, IL-17A (a proinflammatory cytokine) represses other Th17 lineage cytokines by upregulating the regulatory cytokine IL-24.

The limited choice in cell types available for in vitro studies has become an obstacle in hibernation research. 

Researchers at the National Eye Institute for the first time have successfully established iPSC line(s) from a mammalian hibernator, which can be potentially used to generate various cell types and tissue models for in-depth mechanistic studies of hibernation and coldness tolerance in vitro. 

Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI) have discovered an invention describing a composition and method(s) of using such composition for preserving viability of cells, tissues, or organs at a low temperature (around 4ºC). Current cold storage solutions or methods for cells, tissues, and organs are suboptimal due to irreversible damage to cold-sensitive tissue or organ transplants that need a longer term of storage for facilitating clinical practices.

This technology includes a guidewire purpose-built for delivery of bulky transcatheter heart valves (THV). Conventional THV guidewires are rigid and have a distal tip shaped like a pigtail to prevent apical ventricular perforation. This invention is a 3-dimensional helical or antihelical curve that can protect against apical perforation, possibly better, and that allows subtle 3-mensional deflection to aid the operator in achieving coaxiality or overcoming delivery obstacles such as calcific spicules.

This technology includes a catheter-delivered endograft designed to treat congenital heart disease without surgery. The specific surgical procedure averted is cavopulmonary bypass graft. The key innovations are features to effect distal end-to-side anastomosis and proximal end-to-end anastomosis without surgery. The system operates under X-ray and MRI guidance.

This technology includes a method to identify potentially therapeutic microRNAs in cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). This approach first utilizes a large and publicly available expression dataset, which is then validated by a smaller independent dataset to determine deregulated microRNAs expression. These results are then intersected with in vitro functional anti-proliferative screening data to select for microRNAs that play a functional tumor suppressive role and likely serve as therapeutic targets.

This technology includes the development of transgenic mice with a targeted gene mutation that flanks exon 8 of the Ikzf2 (Helios) gene using loxP sites. These Ikzf2 fl/fl (floxed) mice allow researchers to selectively delete the Ikzf2 gene in specific tissues or cells by crossing them with mice that express Cre recombinase under tissue-specific promoters.

This technology includes a new chemical scaffold (with lead compound XL5) against hRpn13 that induces apoptosis, which may have clinical efficacy against cancer. The structure of XL5-conjugated hRpn13 guided the design of XL5-PROTAC degrader compounds that exhibit greater efficacy than previous hRpn13-targeting compounds, as evaluated by selectivity for hRpn13, induction of apoptosis, and loss of cell viability. In cells, XL5-PROTACs revealed the presence of a truncated hRpn13 product that binds to proteasomes and is selectively degraded by XL5-PROTACs.

This technology includes part of transcatheter aortic valve replacement and to enable non-surgical thoracic aortic aneurysm endograft repair. The invention enables a completely new way to access the arterial circulation to allow introduction of large devices, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement, percutaneous left ventricular assist devices, and thoracic aortic endografts. It also can be used in most labeled and off-label applications of Amplatzer (AGA Medical, St Jude) nitinol occluder devices to occlude intracardiac holes and to allow non-surgical direct access to the heart.

This technology includes a novel method to access the arterial circulation to allow introduction of large devices, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement, percutaneous left ventricular assist devices, and thoracic aortic endografts. It also can be used in most labeled and off-label applications of Amplatzer nitinol occluder devices to occlude intracardiac holes and to allow non-surgical direct access to the heart. This new disclosure adds additional design features that have been tested in vivo.