Main Menu

Estrogen related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) is a family member of the steroid/thyroid nuclear receptor superfamily. Estrogen related receptors are thought to regulate similar target genes in the absence of known ligands. For example, the inventors previously cloned the human estrogen receptor-related orphan receptor alpha1 cDNA and demonstrated that it enhances estrogen responsiveness of the lactoferrin gene promoter in transfected human endometrial carcinoma cells.

Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein, kills bacteria and modulates inflammatory and immune responses. It is expressed in mucosa membrane and is present in saliva, tears, vaginal secretion and neutrophils. It modulates immune and inflammatory response by down-regulating several cytokines. Therefore, lactoferrin is an important protein in first line of defense and protecting health. Changes in lactoferrin expression could also be used as a marker of gene activation, especially estrogen-induced gene activity in the uterus.

This invention relates to a strain of Moraxella catarrhalis containing a gene mutation that prevents endotoxic lipooligosaccharide (LOS) synthesis and potential use of the mutant for developing novel vaccines against the pathogen, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine. M. catarrhalis is one of the causative agents of otitis media (middle ear infection), sinusitis, and lung infections. The mutant is defective in the lpxA gene, whose enzyme product is relevant in lipid A biosynthesis (lipid A is part of the LOS).

The invention relates to monoclonal antibodies that bind to the transcription factor NCOA6 (ASC-2, AIB-3, TRB, TRAP250, NRC). The antibodies have proven successful reagents for Western blotting and for purifying complexes containing NCOA6. The Western blot experiments revealed that NCOA6 is over-expressed in several breast cancer cell lines, and the purification experiments identified a protein complex containing NCOA6 (the ASCOM complex). The monoclonal antibodies may be useful reagents for studying the role of NCOA6 in transcription and for studying the ASCOM complex.

Available for licensing and commercial development is a new scheme for sensitive spatially resolved and spectrally resolved laser-induced fluorescence detection from multiple microfluidic channels. The prototype instrument has been developed and is versatile in that it contains only fixed optical parts and has simultaneous five-color detection from eight microchannels in a plastic microchip for DNA analysis. The detection scheme could be applied to fluorescence detection for any microchip-based analysis in a transparent substrate.

The identified technologies describe self-replicating infectious recombinant paramyxoviruses with one or more attenuating mutations, such as a separate variant polynucleotide encoding a P protein and a separate monocistronic polynucleotide encoding a V protein, or at least one temperature sensitive mutation and one non-temperature sensitive mutation. Compositions and methods for recovering, making and using the infectious, recombinant paramyxoviruses as described are also included (e.g. recombinant human parainfluenza virus type 2 (HPIV2)).

This invention relates to materials and methods associated with polymorphic variants in two enzymes involved in folate-dependent and one-carbon metabolic pathways important in pregnancy-related complications and neural tube birth defects: MTHFD1 (5,10-methylenetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthase) and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+ dependent) 1-like (MTHFD1L). These enzymes are extremely important in the promotion of DNA synthesis, a process that is critical for normal placental and fetal development.

The invention described and claimed in this patent application provides for novel vectors and viral particles which comprise adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5). AAV5 is a single-stranded DNA virus of either plus or minus polarity which, like other AAV serotypes (e.g., AAV4, AAV2) requires a helper virus for replication. AAV type 2 has the interesting and potentially useful ability to integrate into human chromosome 19 q 13.3-q ter. This activity is dependent on the non-structural, Rep, proteins of AAV2.

Available for licensing and commercial development is a method of inhibiting SARS-CoV replication, propagation and transmission using 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic (CDDO). Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious atypical pneumonia that has recently been recognized in patients in 32 countries and regions. The atypical pneumonia with unknown etiology was initially observed in Guangdong Province, China.

MRI is a promising imaging modality that provides superior soft tissue contrast and multi planar real-time imaging without harmful ionizing radiation for therapeutic procedures. Interventional magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) has gained important popularity in many fields such as interventional cardiology and radiology, owing to the development of minimally invasive techniques and visible catheters under MRI for conducting MRI-guided procedures and therapies.