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Tetracycline-responsive transcriptional activator driven by the liver-specific mouse major urinary protein promoter (MUP-tTA).

The invention is an automated core biopsy instrument that may be operated with one hand. The instrument has a single activation element that causes a stylet to advance into the tissue of interest as a cutting cannula disposed around the stylet is fired to shear off the tissue into specimen notches disposed in the stylet. The invention is constructed so that the stylet and cutting cannula may be separately driven and biased. The cocking mechanism of the automated core biopsy instrument is used to cock both the stylet assembly and cutting cannula assemblies against separate biasing springs.

This technology describes recombinant viruses that have weakened ability to establish and/or maintain latency and their use as live vaccines. The viruses have one or more genetic mutations that allow for continued replication but that inhibit latency. The vaccine materials and methods for their construction are exemplified with the virus that causes chickenpox and whose latent infection results in shingles, a condition that affects up to an estimated 1 million people per year in the United States alone. Additionally, there are veterinary applications of this technology.

The invention provides a novel delivery system for delivering an encircling suture which includes two separate hollow limbs held together at an articulation by the suture to be delivered. The suture can extend through the hollow limbs, which slide along the suture. The distal ends of the limbs can be compressed into a desired delivery shape that allows the limbs to be advanced through the lumen of a delivery catheter (e.g., a transcutaneous, transvascular or intraluminal catheter) into any body cavity.

A specific and sensitive TaqMan-based real-time (rt) RT-PCR assay has been developed by CDC scientists for detection of noroviruses in clinical and environmental specimens. This assay can be implemented to rapidly detect and distinguish norovirus strains from genogroups I and II, which are responsible for the majority of human infections. Additionally, the assay is multiplexed with an internal extraction control virus (coliphage MS2) to validate the results of the assay.

Bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria that causes anthrax infection in humans. CDC inventors have identified epitope sequences of B. anthracis protective antigen (PA) that may be useful for development of peptide-based anthrax vaccines. This invention also relates to methods for determining whether post-vaccination protection is achieved. Specifically, this invention relates to a screening method for determining protection against B.

This invention relates to synthetic immunoreactive peptides, which are portions of the M proteins of the most prevalent Group A Streptococcus (GAS) serotypes in the United States. These peptides may be useful in development of a flexible, multivalent GAS vaccine. They can be recognized by M type-specific antibodies and are capable of eliciting functional opsonic antibodies. Additionally, the peptides or isolated antibodies raised in response to the peptides may be useful for GAS diagnostics.

This Intranasal Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI), developed with Creare, Inc., allows low-cost delivery of powder vaccines. Nasal delivery has numerous advantages compared to traditional injected vaccines, including: 1) safe, needle-less administration by minimally-trained staff or patient; 2) better protection due to mucosal and cross-protection; and 3) decreased biohazard waste.

Intranasal delivery is a simple, inexpensive and needle-free route for administration of vaccines and therapeutics. This intranasal delivery technology, developed with Creare LLC., includes low-cost, disposable drug cartridges (DDCs) that mate with a durable hand-held device. The rechargeable-battery-powered device transmits ultrasonic energy to the DDC to aerosolize the drug and is capable of performing for eight hours at 120 vaccinations per hour. Potential applications for this platform technology include intranasal vaccination (e.g.

The invention, a stabilized recombinant prefusion F protein (pre F), is a candidate subunit vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Pre-F is stabilized in the prefusion conformation and displays epitopes not present in postfusion F protein. Several potent RSV neutralizing antibodies bind pre F, but not postfusion F. Therefore, immunization with pre F may elicit an immune response superior to the response generated by postfusion F.