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The development of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against norovirus VLPs has allowed the identification and characterization of key antigenic sites of the virus capsid and facilitated the development of diagnostic assays.
Although dealmaking in the medtech industry slowed in 2017, political developments and innovations in areas such as digital health technologies could fuel greater activity in 2018.
NIAID inventors have discovered the region of P47 protein responsible for the immune evasion function of this protein. Specific sequences of protein fragments of P47 have proven to be both highly antigenic and shown to be responsible in allowing malaria parasites to evade the mosquito immune system. Proof of concept in a mouse model has demonstrated that vaccination using specific P47 protein fragments blocks Plasmodium transmission by mosquitoes. Immunization with the P47 protein variants of this technology provides a candidate for a potential, effective, transmission blocking malaria vaccine against Plasmodium species.
Inventors at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have developed a novel CoV S protein vaccine antigen. This technology employs protein engineering to stabilize S in its prefusion conformation, preventing structural rearrangement, and exposing antigenically preferable surfaces. The technology has been applied to several CoV spikes, including those from human-relevant viruses, such as HKU1-CoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. Particularly for MERS-COV, stabilized S proteins have been shown to elicit superior neutralizing antibody responses up to 10-fold higher in animal models and protect mice against lethal MERS-CoV infection.
NIAID has a hybridoma available for non-exclusive licensing that produces a monoclonal antibody specific for DNA/RNA hybrids. The applications for this hybridoma include its use in immuno-fluorescence (IF) microscopy; DNA/RNA immunoprecipitation (DRIP) and also in diagnostic kits for viral/bacterial infections, cancers, and a variety of other human diseases. NIH researchers have also incorporated the antibody into a micro-array platform, expanding its potential for use in diagnostic devices.
Scientists at NIAID isolated families of antibodies capable of neutralizing diverse group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses. The antibodies identified precisely targeted parts of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, present on the surface of the influenza virus, that are least variable from season to season. A passive administration of members of these families of antibodies to individuals would represent an alternative to the current standard of care for severe influenza virus infection.
This invention relates to the use of murine pneumonia virus (MPV), a virus to which humans normally are not exposed and that is not cross-protected with RSV, as a vector to express the RSV fusion (F) glycoprotein as an RSV vaccine candidate.
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are developing immunogens which elicit neutralizing antibodies to the highly conserved stem region of the influenza viral protein hemagglutinin. By targeting this highly conserved region, which is nearly identical in various strains of influenza virus, these immunogens could train the immune system to defend against a wide variety of influenza strains including pandemic strains derived from animal reservoirs.
The technology relates to a protein-based nanoparticle platform that allows presentation of immunogenic molecules such as influenza virus antigens. The platform provides a means for an optimal display of influenza epitopes for the induction of immune response including broadly neutralizing antibodies against the virus and therefore has the potential to be developed into an efficient universal vaccine against influenza virus infection.
Scientists at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center are developing an alternative approach for design and production of seasonal influenza vaccines. The design includes recombinant fusion proteins that self-assemble into nanoparticles, referred to as mosaic nanoparticles, with influenza antigenic proteins displayed on the nanoparticle surface. Further engineering these recombinant fusion proteins, the scientists have developed nanoparticles that simultaneously display multiple strains of influenza viral protein antigens (the receptor-binding domain of hemagglutinin) on their surface.
In a week that was relatively quiet for dealmaking compared to many others this year, there were still two high-value deals in the CNS space, which continues to generate deals and funding despite recent clinical failures in the area.
Mitra Biotech is advancing CANscript, a fully human, clinically validated, ex vivo platform for oncology drug programs. Mitra is looking to expand its broad network of pharma and biotech collaborators to further advance promising oncology candidates to and through the clinic.
Halozyme is pioneering therapies that remodel the tumor microenvironment to increase accessibility for chemotherapies, immuno-oncology agents, and innate immune cells. Halozyme is developing pegvorhyaluronidase alfa (PEGPH20) to treat pancreatic and other solid tumors.