A Novel System for Producing Infectious Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Virions and Development of a Novel Reporter System for Studying HCV Entry

HCV has infected an estimated 3% of the world population in whom viral infection persists for more than two third of the cases, often resulting in life-threatening complications. The standard of care (pegylated interferon alpha-2 plus ribavirin) is efficient in only 50% of treated patients, costly and has numerous side effects. In addition, viral resistance to newly developed drugs -- targeting viral protease or RNA polymerase -- has been described, but no vaccine is yet available.

Tissue Clamp for Repeated Opening and Closure of Incisions/Wounds

Medical clamps currently available are not efficient nor are they sufficiently precise in closure and alignment of the edges of an incision or wound. Many available designs are difficult to use and handle, especially in situations where repeated opening and closure of an incision or wound is required. The functional short-comings of existing clamp designs may result in surgical complications, such as excess loss of fluids and pressure and hemostasis during some procedures.

Muramyl Dipeptide as a Therapeutic Agent for Inflammation

The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) protein plays a key role in innate immunity as a sensor of muramyl dipeptide (MDP), a breakdown product of bacterial peptidoglycan. Bacterial peptidoglycan promotes the innate immune response through the activation of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), which ultimately provokes inflammation. Activation of NOD2 by MDP negatively regulates the activity of TLR2, and thus reduces inflammation.

Human Monoclonal Antibodies That Target Plasmodium Falciparum Sporozoites

Malaria is one of the worlds deadliest infectious diseases, causing an estimated 249 million cases and 608,000 deaths annually, with children in the regions of Africa and South Asia being most vulnerable. Approx 2,000 cases of malaria are reported in the United States each year, by travelers from malaria-risk countries. Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, which introduces Plasmodium sporozoites into the bloodstream of the human host.

Monoclonal Antibodies that Bind Zika Virus Envelope Protein for Zika Diagnostics and Research

Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe birth defects. The CDC Zika MAC-ELISA (IgM antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) currently used for diagnosis detects antibodies produced to fight a Zika virus infection. However, reactivity of flavivirus antibodies (from exposure to other mosquito-borne infections such as dengue or West Nile virus) can complicate the interpretation of these results.

Using Artificial Intelligence To Diagnose Uveitis

Summary: 

The National Eye Institute seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for a deep learning algorithm that can identify retinal vasculitis using color fundus images.

Description of Technology: 

Uveitis is caused by inflammation in the eye that can cause pain and reduce vision. The rate of uveitis in the United States is 1 in every 200 people with eye-related irritation. Permanent symptoms such as vision loss can occur if untreated. Therefore, early detection is crucial. 

Methods To Regulate Metabolism For Treatment Of Neural Injuries and Neurodegeneration

Description of Technology:

Axonal injury and subsequent neuronal death underpin the pathology of many neurological disorders from acute neural injuries (motor vehicle crashes, combat related injuries, traumatic brain injuries) to neurological diseases (multiple sclerosis, glaucoma). In the central nervous system (CNS), microglia help respond to CNS injuries by mediating the immune response and increasing inflammation at the site of injury. 

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