NHGRI/DIR Technology Transfer Program

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The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) facilitates interactions between NHGRI's research laboratories and other research entities, including universities, non-profit organizations and companies, for the benefit of public health. TTO carries out its mission by assisting in the transfer of NHGRI-developed technologies to the private sector for further development and commercialization and by managing formal relationships with pharmaceutical and life sciences companies through the use of various legal instruments. The TTO also ensures the speedy and efficient exchange of research resources between NHGRI and outside scientific groups and assures compliance with relevant laws and policies. 10 employee invention reports (EIRs) were processed and evaluated in FY2008 and six new patent applications have been filed to date. Example EIR titles are as follows: cell line for detection of genotoxin; substituted oxadiazole 2-oxides as a treatment of schistosomiasis; gene therapy for methylmalonic acidemia; substituted triazincs as inhibitors of Cruzain and Rhodesain and as front line therapies for Chagas Disease and African Trypanosomiasis; small molecule activators of human pyruvate kinase; thyroid stimulating hormone receptor agonists; analysis of the protein kinase family reveals a high frequency of mutations in ERBB4 in melanoma; analysis of the matrix metalloproteinase family reveals MMP-8 is often mutated in melanoma; dephostatin derivatives and protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitors as inhibitors of human tryosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase (Tdp1); and inhibitors of PDE4A, PDE4B and PDE4D. New FY2008 executed conditional gift fund agreements and awarded non-NIH research fellowships focused on the following human disease research topics: cutaneous malignant melanoma; methylmalonic acidemia (MMA); Charcot-Marie Tooth disease; acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML); Smith-Magenis syndrome; medullary cystic kidney disease (MCKD); Cooleys anemia; breast cancer (specifically identification of novel genetic factors contributing to clinical phenotypes in large families with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations); and Myotonic Dystrophy Type DM1. In addition, we received research awards and donations to support several canine-focused research projects including: squamous cell carcinoma in the standard poodle; malignant histiocystosis (MH) in the Bernese Mountain Dog; mapping of the gene for transitional cell carcinoma in the Scottish Terrier and West Highland White Terrier; and Identifying genes regulating Addisons disease in the Portuguese Water Dog. In FY2008 we executed several new licenses involving the following technologies and patent-pending inventions: an antibody (AIB1, a novel steroid receptor co-activator) and a plasmid (pASP-l, the full-length pASP construct (pASP-I0.7, containing the NACP-Repl locus) for use as research reagents; and two patent applications (entitled Methods for analyzing high dimensional data for classifying, diagnosing, prognosticating and/or predicting diseases and other biological states" and "Selections of genes and methods of using the same for diagnosis and for targeting the therapy of select cancers") for use in the development of childhood cancer diagnostic and prognostic tests. We received in a license application for the use of N-acetyl mannosamine (ManNAc) as a therapeutic agent to treat Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathies (HIBM) and other muscular atrophies as well as hyposialyation kidney disorders.