Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Nucleic Acid Sequence Variations

The ability to easily detect small mutations in nucleic acids, such as single base substitutions, can provide a powerful tool for use in cancer detection, perinatal screens for inherited diseases, and analysis of genetic polymorphisms such as genetic mapping or for identification purposes. Current approaches make use of the mismatch that occurs between complimentary strands of DNA when there is a genetic mutation, the electrophoretic mobility differences caused by small sequence changes, and chemicals or enzymes that can cleave heteroduplex sites.

Generation of Smad3-null Mice and Smad4-conditional Mice

SMADs are a novel set of mammalian proteins that act downstream of TGF-beta family ligands. These proteins can be categorized into three distinct functional sets, receptor-activated SMADs (SMADs 1,2,3,5, and 8), the common mediator SMAD (SMAD 4), and inhibitory SMADs (SMADs 6 and 7). SMAD proteins are thought to play a role in vertebrate development and tumorigenesis.

A Nurr1-Knockout Mouse Model for Parkinson's Disease and Stem Cell Differentiation

The researchers have generated Nurr1-knockout mice via genomic locus inactivation using homologous recombination.

Transcription factor Nurr1 is an obligatory factor for neurotransmitter dopamine biosynthesis in ventral midbrain. From a neurological and clinical perspective, it suggests an entirely new mechanism for dopamine depletion in a region where dopamine is known to be involved in Parkinson's disease. Activation of Nurr1 may be therapeutically useful for Parkinson's disease patients; therefore, the mice would be useful in Parkinson's disease research.

A Broadly Protective Human Antibody for GI Genogroup Noroviruses

Norovirus is a leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness worldwide, with 700 million cases and 200,000 deaths occurring each year. Despite decades of work in the field, there are no preventive or therapeutic strategies specifically approved for even the most prevalent forms of human norovirus (i.e., GI, GII genogroups), which are highly contagious and carry an increased risk of severe complications in children, older adults, and those with immunocompromising conditions. 

A Novel Strategy to Produce 6-cys Proteins Based on Pfs230D1 Domain Fusions

The Plasmodium parasite has a complex lifecycle during human infection and in the mosquito vector. Most advanced malaria vaccine candidates can confer only partial, short-term protection in malaria-endemic areas. A means of breaking the transmission of malaria to subsequent individuals could prevent a significant amount of human disease.

The primary embodiments of this technology are novel compositions of matter that produce enhanced transmission-blocking responses over current transmission blocking vaccines:

Broadly neutralizing influenza hemagglutinin stem-directed antibodies

In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported roughly 3 to 5 million cases of severe influenza worldwide, resulting in approximately 290,000 to 650,000 deaths. Given the high disease burden, the needs for both prophylactic and therapeutic influenza strategies remain significant. However, current treatments for influenza are susceptible to resistance and are useful for only a limited post-infection period.    

PIM-Targeted PROTACs

Proviral Integration for the Moloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinases are overexpressed in many solid cancers – including prostate, breast, colon, endometrial, gastric and pancreatic. High of PIM1 expression is predictive of poor survival in multiple cancer types. While several selective pan-PIM inhibitors were developed and tested in clinical trials, all ultimately increased PIM1-3 protein levels and developed intrinsic resistance. 

T24 Antigen for Diagnosing or Treating Taenia solium Cysticercosis

In order to develop a simple detection assay for field use, CDC researchers cloned and sequenced the Taenia solium T24 diagnostic protein. The T24 sequences can be used to detect and diagnose T. solium infection or can be formulated into a pharmaceutical composition. T. solium is a species of tapeworm. Intestinal infection with T. solium is referred to as taeniasis. Many taeniasis infections are asymptomatic but may be characterized by insomnia, anorexia, abdominal pain and weight loss. Cysticercosis infection, which can be fatal, may develop if T.

Generation of Artificial Mutation Controls for Diagnostic Testing

This technology relates to a method of generating artificial compositions that can be used as positive controls in a genetic testing assay, such as a diagnostic assay for a particular genetic disease. Such controls can be used to confirm the presence or absence of a particular genetic mutation. The lack of easily accessible, validated mutant controls has proven to be a major obstacle to the advancement of clinical molecular genetic testing, validation, quality control (QC), quality assurance (QA), and required proficiency testing.
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