Novel Small Molecule Agonists of the Relaxin Receptor as Potential Therapy for Heart Failure and Fibrosis

The present invention is directed to novel small molecule agonists of the mammalian relaxin family receptor 1 (RXFP1), including human RXFP1. Activation of RXFP1 induces: 1) vasodilation due to up-regulation of the endothelin system; 2) extracellular matrix remodeling; 3) moderation of inflammation by reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines; and 4) angiogenesis. Small molecule agonists of RXFP1 may be useful in treating acute heart failure (AHF), scleroderma, fibrosis, other conditions associated with the biology of relaxin, and in improving reproductive health and wound healing.

Methods and Composition for Identification of Variants of JC Virus DNA; An Etiologic Agent for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML)

JC Virus causes a fatal disease in the brain called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) that occurs in many patients with immunocompromised conditions. The finding of JCV DNA in the patients with neurological symptoms of PML is a diagnostic criterion and is needed to confirm the diagnosis of PML to rule out other neurological conditions. Certain JC virus variants are known to have a greater association with PML. For example, "Prototype" JC virus is far more pathogenic than "Archetype" JC virus.

SIRT2 Inhibitors as Novel Therapeutics for Myocardial Infarction and Ischemic Stroke and to Prevent Necrosis

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) inhibitors to reduce necrosis and, thereby, as novel therapeutics to treat ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction. Accumulating evidence indicates that programmed necrosis plays a critical role in cell death during ischemia-reperfusion. NIH investigators have shown that the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT2 binds constitutively to receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3) and that deletion or knockdown of SIRT2 prevents formation of the RIP1-RIP3 complex in mice.

Software to Improve the Quality of Microscopy Images

Available for licensing and commercial use is software based on an iterative deconvolution procedure that recovers images that have been blurred by a known point spread function. The software provides superior results when multiple independent observations of the same specimen are obtained. An example of such observations might be the multiple views of a specimen collected by a selective illumination plane microscope (SPIM).

Background-Free Fluorescent Nanodiamond Imaging

Available for licensing and commercial development are intellectual property rights covering a method of imaging a biological specimen (e.g., human tissue) using fluorescent nanodiamonds implanted into the subject of interest, applying a magnetic field to said subject and producing a resultant image by a net juxtaposition of a second acquired image. This process suppresses the background and permits selective imaging of the nanodiamonds in the presence of background fluorescence that exceeds the signal from the nanodiamonds.

Novel Tocopherol and Tocopheryl Quinone Derivatives as Therapeutics for Lysosomal Storage Disorders

Novel tocopherol derivatives and tocopheryl quinone derivatives useful in the decrease of lysosomal substrate accumulation, the restoration of normal lysosomal size, and the treatment of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are provided. The inventors have discovered that tocopherol and tocopheryl quinone derivatives with side chain modifications (such as terminal tri-halogenated methyl groups) exhibit improved pharmacokinetics, modulation of mitochondrial potential and restoration of some LSDs phenotypes.

User-friendly, Powerful Software for Analyzing ChIP-Seq Data

The present invention provides a user-friendly software, called PAPST (Peak Assignment and Profile Search Tool for ChIP-Seq), for bench scientists to work with ChIP-Seq data in seconds, allowing the scientists to screen genes against multiple genomic features with ease and efficiency previously not realized. Furthermore, PAPST may be used to identify genes of special significance in a wide variety of biological and biomedical fields, which could lead the discovery of disease-associated genes and the development of therapeutic methods for human diseases.