Antibodies and Methods for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

According to the World Health Organization, over 90% of the worldwide population is infected with Epstein-Barr virus by adulthood. In most cases, the disease accompanying initial infection is subclinical though some individuals who are infected as adolescents or adults do experience infectious mononucleosis. However, once infected, individuals carry latent EBV for their remaining lifespan. In such individuals, immune suppression can result in reactivation of the EBV and consequently, EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease.

Novel Human Immunogenic Epitopes of the Human Endogenous Retrovirus ERVMER34-1

Summary:

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) seeks research co-development partners and/or licensees for the clinical translation of novel peptide-based therapeutic cancer vaccines derived from ERVMER34-1, a human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) antigen, offering a unique opportunity to address a significant unmet need in the treatment of various carcinomas.

A Key Advancement for Human Norovirus Research and Reverse Genetics

The HEK293T/T7 cell line is a novel development in virology research, particularly for studying human noroviruses. This cell line expresses the T7 RNA polymerase, a key enzyme used in reverse genetics systems. Unlike existing technologies, the HEK293T/T7 cell line offers the unique advantage of being able to produce functional T7 RNA polymerase, which is essential for driving transcription from T7 promoters.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease via ENPPI Inhibition

This technology focuses on enhancing cementum production, a key component in treating periodontal regression. The method involves inhibiting ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterases (ENPP1), enzymes that play a significant role in mineralization processes. Pyrophosphate (PPi) is known to impede the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals, essential for mineralization. ENPP1 catalyzes the hydrolysis of ATP, generating PPi, which then hinders mineralization.

Agonist Epitopes for the Development of a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Therapeutic Vaccine

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with the cause of several cancer types, including cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers. There has been great success in preventing HPV infections with the development of prophylactic HPV vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix. However, these vaccines have only been shown to prevent HPV infection and not treat those already infected with HPV. These vaccines elicit antibody responses to late HPV genes, and thus would not be effective in treating established tumors.