LabToWallStreet / teXchange Technology of the Day

Angiogenic Onchocerca Volvulus Proteins and Uses Thereof

Angiogenesis refers to the process by which new capillary blood vessels are formed from existing microvessels, resulting in the development of a blood supply to a given area of tissue.  The consequences of abnormal angiogenesis is either excessive or insufficient blood vessel growth, either of which can dramatically affect a number of pathological processes including abnormal wound healing, chronic inflammatory disorders, dermatological conditions, diseases of the eye and tumor growth.

The present invention is based on the discovery that certain members of the Ov-ASP protein family are involved in the pathologic process of corneal neovascularization in animals infected with O. volvulus (an illness called Onchocerciasis or River Blindness).  This discovery indicates a pro-angiogenic role for Ov-ASP proteins, which will have implications for wound healing and for the treatment of various diseases where the enhancement of angiogenesis is desirable.

To learn more about this technology available for licensing, please visit the New York Blood Center's module on the LabToWallStreet teXchange.

Recombinant Adenoviral Vector System for Gene Therapy

Gene therapy, the replacement or supplementation of defective genetic information by transfer of normal functional genes, has significant potential as a method for treating genetic disorders. Recent approaches for gene therapy have involved gene transfer using recombinant viral vectors, exploiting RNA and DNA tumor viruses - many of which are pathogenic and capable of causing disease. Retroviruses have also been extensively studied, however, these viruses are unstable, randomly integrate into the host genome (which can lead to insertional mutagenesis) and may activate protooncogene expression. Adeno-associated viruses, also being utilized, have the advantage of integrating in specific regions of the host genome. The usefulness of currently available retroviral and adeno-associated viral vector systems is limited by their inability to accept heterologous DNA fragments greater than 3 to 5 kilobases (kb) and to produce large quantities of viral stocks. Recombinant adenovirus vector systems can now only accommodate 6 to 7 kb of foreign DNA and, despite deletion of certain viral replication regions, do cause significant cytopathology at high multiplicities of infection.

To continue learning more about this technology available for licensing, please visit New York University's module on the LabToWallStreet teXchange.

Rockefeller University Technology: Identification Of Novel Factors That Induce Insulin Expression In Embryonic Cells

The pancreas is a flat organ in vertebrates, about six inches long and located in the abdomen. Proper pancreas function is essential for the production of digestive enzymes and a number of hormones, including insulin which controls the levels of sugar, i.e. glucose, in the blood. An insufficient production of insulin causes diabetes, a group of diseases characterized by abnormally high levels of glucose in blood. There are a number of serious health complications due to diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, neuropathy, and amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and currently no cure exists.

In the recent years, embryonic stem cells (ES) have become as one of the more promising therapies for the treatment of diabetes. In theory, ES cells would be directed to become insulin-producing pancreatic cells that could then replace dysfunctional ones. Our scientists have described two factors involved in the differentiation of pancreatic cell lines during embryogenesis...

To continue learning more about this technology available for licensing, please visit Rockefeller University's module on the LabToWallStreet teXchange.