NCI Seeks Collaborators

Saw this tonight, thought others may be interested

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — The National Cancer Institute is looking to license or co-develop a microRNA sequence that it said can enhance the capacity of T-lymphocytes to recognize tumors in several kinds of cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.

NIH said the technology, listed under patent application No. 60/940,172, is the “first reported use” of an miRNA gene to treat disease.

According to the agency, NCI discovered that genetically engineering T-lymphocytes with the gene, called miR-181a, “dramatically augmented the function of poorly responsive human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and TCR-engineered peripheral blood lymphocytes, resulting in potent anti-tumor reactivity.”

It also said that in a mouse model, miR-181a, “increased the function of self/tumor-specific CD8+ T cells enabling effective tumor destruction in the absence of vaccination or exogenous cytokines that were otherwise essential requirements.”

Pre-clinical work on miR-181a has been completed and clinical studies are being planned, the NIH said.

The IP is up for exclusive or non-exclusive license, NCI said.

NCI also said that its Surgery Branch seeks statements of interest from parties that want to “develop, evaluate, or commercialize the therapeutic use of microRNA-181a in the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer.”

Incubator Graduates Recognized

From yesterday’s FNP

Biotech graduates

The two biotechnology companies — Akonni BioSystems and BioElectronics Corp. — were honored for graduating from the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, said Patrick Haley, vice-chairman of the Business Development Advisory Council.

The technology center is a business incubator that helps new information technology and biotechnology companies with financing, office and lab space, and administrative assistance.

Akonni and BioElectronics were the first two companies to graduate from FITCI, Boyer said. FITCI opened Jan. 12, 2005.

“We knew they were graduating and staying in Frederick,” Haley said, “and we wanted an avenue to recognize their achievement. Each company is a poster child of what an incubator graduate is supposed to look like.”

BioElectronics developed and markets the ActiPatch, a dermal patch that delivers pulsed electromagnetic frequency therapies to accelerate healing of soft tissue injuries.

“We have rented 2,500 square feet in the same building as FITCI (4539 Metropolitan Court). In FITCI, we had 900,” said Andrew Whelan, president of BioElectronics.

The company distributes its products to nine countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Columbia and China.

Akonni produces the TruArray product line of diagnostic devices to detect human diseases and infectious agents. Small blood, urine or saliva samples are placed on a credit-card-size device, which is placed in a portable reader to process the sample. The caregiver gets a printout of the results.

On a personal note, the BioE ActiPatch is a fabulous product and they have a good group of people. I have a patch myself that I have used on sore muscles, bruises, abrasions, sore joints. It works, that’s all I can tell you. And it is clinically proven.

I have also had the opportunity to work with Akonni as they are building out their new facility in an old warehouse on Sagner across from McCutcheon’s just off Carrol Creek. They are in the final stages of construction and build out. Bringing actual manufacturing back to the Downtown scene is a real plus and I think they’re going to have a beautiful facility.