Patents Assigned to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
  • Compositions for preserving photoreceptor cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, or visual function
    Patent number: 10639345
    Abstract: Provided are methods and compositions for maintaining the viability of photoreceptor cells and/or retinal pigment epithelial cells in a subject with an ocular disorder including, for example, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (e.g., dry or neovascular AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), or a retinal detachment. The viability of the photoreceptor cells and/or the retinal pigment epithelial cells can be preserved by administering a necrosis inhibitor either alone or in combination with an apoptosis inhibitor to a subject having an eye with the ocular condition. The compositions, when administered, maintain the viability of the cells, thereby minimizing the loss of vision or visual function associated with the ocular disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Demetrios G. Vavvas, Georgios Trichonas, Joan W. Miller, Yusuke Murakami
  • Methods and compositions for preserving retinal ganglion cells
    Patent number: 10617735
    Abstract: Provided are methods and compositions for maintaining the viability of retinal ganglion cells in a subject with an ocular disorder including, for example, glaucoma and optic nerve injury. The viability of the retinal ganglion cells can be preserved by administering a necrosis inhibitor either alone or in combination with an apoptosis inhibitor to a subject having an eye with the ocular condition. The compositions, when administered, maintain the viability of the cells and/or promote axon regeneration, thereby minimizing the loss of vision or visual function associated with the ocular disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Demetrios G. Vavvas, Joan W. Miller, Maki Kayama
  • Sensorineural hair cell differentiation
    Patent number: 10603295
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating subjects at risk for or with sensorineural hearing loss. Such compositions and methods include modulating the epigenetic status of the cell, or rate of protein degradation, to increase expression and/or levels of Atoh1 protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Albert Edge, Judith Kempfle, Dunia Abdul-Aziz
  • Method and process for quantitative evaluation of pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effects and safety of delivery of drug compounds to the inner ear for treatment of auditory disease
    Patent number: 10596267
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating an auditory disease in a subject in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of a gel-based precursor that includes an inner ear-specific therapeutic compound directly into the cochlea of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignees: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Borenstein, Erin Pararas, Ernest S. Kim, Vishal Tandon, Andrew Ayoob, Michael McKenna, William Sewell, Marcello Peppi, Marc Weinberg, Robert Langer
  • Efficient delivery of therapeutic molecules in vitro and in vivo
    Patent number: 10583201
    Abstract: A chimeric molecule of one or more proteins or peptides fused, complexed or linked to one or more anionic molecules. Efficient in vitro and in vivo delivery is attained by encapsulating these molecules in cationic lipids or cationic liposomes. Methods of treatment include the intracellular delivery of these molecules to a specific therapeutic target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Zheng-Yi Chen, David Liu
  • Adaptive visual assistive device
    Patent number: 10571715
    Abstract: The disclosure features visual assistive devices that include a detection apparatus configured to receive information about an environment surrounding a user of the visual assistive device, a communication apparatus configured to transmit information to the user, and an electronic processor coupled to the detection apparatus and the communication apparatus, and configured to: receive information about an activity of the user; filter the information about the environment surrounding the user based on the activity of the user; assign a priority rank to each element of the filtered information based on the activity of the user; and transmit at least some of the elements of the filtered information, according to the assigned priority ranks, to the user using the communication apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, The United States Government As Represented By The Department Of Veterans Affairs
    Inventors: Joseph F. Rizzo, III, Attila Priplata, Minnan Xu, Conrad Wall, III
  • Calculating conjunctival redness
    Patent number: 10548474
    Abstract: The present application includes methods, systems and computer readable storage devices for determining a color score for at least a portion of a biological tissue. The subject matter of the application is embodied in a method that includes obtaining a digital image of the biological tissue, and receiving a selection of a portion of the image as an evaluation area. The method also includes determining for each of a plurality of pixels within the evaluation area, a plurality of color components that are based on a Cartesian color space, and determining, from the color components, a hue value in a polar coordinate based color space. The method further includes determining a color value based on the hue value for each of the plurality of pixels, and assigning a color score to the evaluation area based on an average of the color values of the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Reza Dana, Francisco L. Amparo Pulido, Haobing Wang
  • Methods of predicting ancestral virus sequences and uses thereof
    Patent number: 10526584
    Abstract: Methods are described for predicting ancestral sequences for viruses or portions thereof. Also described are predicted ancestral sequences for adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid polypeptides. The disclosure also provides methods of gene transfer and methods of vaccinating subjects by administering a target antigen operably linked to the AAV capsid polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Inc., Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Luk H. Vandenberghe, Eric Zinn
  • Grading corneal fluorescein staining
    Patent number: 10492674
    Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in systems and computer-implemented methods for determining a score representing an amount of staining of the cornea. The methods include obtaining a digital image of the cornea stained with a tracer material, receiving a selection of a portion of the image, and processing, by a processing device, the selection to exclude areas with one or more artifacts to define an evaluation area. For each of a plurality of pixels within the evaluation area, a plurality of Cartesian color components are determined and a hue value in a polar coordinate based color space is calculated from the components. An amount of staining of the cornea is then determined as a function of the hue value. The methods also include assigning a score to the evaluation area based on the amount of staining calculated for the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Reza Dana, Francisco L. Amparo Pulido, Haobing Wang
  • USES OF MODIFIED MULLERIAN INHIBITING SUBSTANCE (MIS) PROTEINS FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
    Publication number: 20190351026
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods to treat a neurodegenerative disease or disorder, e.g., a motor neuron disease in a subject, whereby the subject is administered a recombinant human Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) protein as disclosed herein, wherein the recombinant human MIS protein comprises a modified Kex cleavage site for increased cleavage. The recombinant human MIS protein can be produced from a pre-proprotein comprising a non-MIS leader sequence or a functional fragment thereof in place of the MIS leader sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicants: THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION, MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
    Inventors: Patricia K. DONAHOE, Demetrios VAVVAS, David PEPIN, Mien Van HOANG, Robert H. BROWN, Guangping GAO
  • Conjunctivitis vaccines
    Patent number: 10420826
    Abstract: Compositions comprising antigenic peptides, and their use in inducing an immunoprotective response in a subject against an infection with Streptococcus pneumonia, or for treating or preventing, i.e., reducing risk of, an infection of Streptococcus pneumonia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Michael Valentino, Michael S. Gilmore
  • CYP450 lipid metabolites reduce inflammation and angiogenesis
    Patent number: 10413518
    Abstract: Methods for reducing angiogenesis, inflammation, and vascular permeability in a subject by administering an epoxymetabolite of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), e.g., as listed in Table A, e.g., one or both of 17,18-epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (EEQ) and 19,20-epoxydocosapentaenoic acid (EDP), e.g., for the treatment of conditions associated with inflammation or excess angiogenesis or neovascularization, including age-related macular degeneration, cancer, stroke, and arthritis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Kip M. Connor, Ryoji Yanai
  • Local Orbital Therapy for Thyroid Eye Disease
    Publication number: 20190276529
    Abstract: Methods of treating acute thyroid eye disease (TED) by administering a inhibitor, e.g., a VEGF-A inhibitor, e.g., an anti-VEGF antibody, optionally in combination with hyaluronidase, by periorbital or intraorbital injection. Also compositions comprising a VEGF inhibitor and hyaluronidase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicants: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: N. Grace LEE, Leo KIM, Patricia A. D`AMORE, James A. STEFATER
  • Compounds that enhance Atoh1 expression
    Patent number: 10406163
    Abstract: This invention generally provides compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for their use, which include methods that result in increased expression in an Atoh1 gene (e.g., Hath1) in a biological cell. More specifically, the invention relates to the treatment of diseases and/or disorders that would benefit from increased Atoh1 expression, e.g., a hearing impairment or imbalance disorder associated with a loss of auditory hair cells, or a disorder associated with abnormal cellular proliferation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, The Brigham & Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Edge, Sang-Jun Jeon, Kathleen Seyb, Marcie Glicksman, Lixin Qiao, Gregory D. Cuny
  • AAV2-MEDIATED GENE DELIVERY OF SFASL AS A NEUROPROTECTIVE THERAPY IN GLAUCOMA
    Publication number: 20190240353
    Abstract: Methods for treating glaucoma and/or Fas ligand-dependent inflammatory conditions in a subject using soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) or a fragment thereof, which may be rAAV-mediated delivery of sFasL or a fragment thereof to a subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicants: University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Ann Marshak-Rothstein, Meredith Gregory-Ksander, Bruce Ksander
  • METHODS AND POLYMER COMPOSITIONS FOR TREATING RETINAL DETACHMENT AND OTHER OCULAR DISORDERS
    Publication number: 20190224375
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and polymer compositions for treating retinal detachment and other ocular disorders, where the methods employ polymer compositions that can form a hydrogel in the eye of a subject. The hydrogel is formed by reaction of (i) a nucleo-functional polymer that is a biocompatible polymer containing a plurality of thio-functional groups —R1—SH wherein R1 is an ester-containing linker, such as a thiolated poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer and (ii) an electro-functional polymer that is a biocompatible polymer containing at least one thiol-reactive group, such as a poly(ethylene glycol) polymer containing alpha-beta unsaturated ester groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: James Anthony STEFATER, III, Tomasz Pawel STRYJEWSKI
  • METHODS AND POLYMER COMPOSITIONS FOR TREATING RETINAL DETACHMENT AND OTHER OCULAR DISORDERS
    Publication number: 20190175791
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and polymer compositions for treating retinal detachment and other ocular disorders, where the methods employ polymer compositions that can form a hydrogel in the eye of a subject. The hydrogel is formed by reaction of (i) a nucleo-functional polymer that is a biocompatible polymer containing a plurality of thio-functional groups —R1—SH wherein R1 is an ester-containing linker, such as a thiolated poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer and (ii) an electro-functional polymer that is a biocompatible polymer containing at least one thiol-reactive group, such as a poly(ethylene glycol) polymer containing alpha-beta unsaturated ester groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: James Anthony STEFATER, III, Tomasz Pawel STRYJEWSKI
  • RPGR gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa
    Patent number: 10314924
    Abstract: Methods for treating a human subject who has X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP) or another clinically-defined ophthalmological condition due to a loss-of-function mutation in the gene encoding the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) protein, the method comprising administering to the subject a nucleic acid comprising an adeno-associated viral vector comprising an abbreviated human RPGR cDNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, UCL Business PLC, The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Michael A. Sandberg, Basil Pawlyk, Alan Finlay Wright, Xinhua Shu, Tiansen Li, Robin Ali
  • FORMATION OF COLLOIDS OR GELS WITHIN DROPLETS
    Publication number: 20190160445
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to microfluidic droplets and, including forming gels within microfluidic droplets. In some aspects, a fluid containing agarose or other gel precursors is transported into a microfluidic droplet, and caused to harden within the droplet, e.g., to form a gel particle contained within the microfluidic droplet. Surprisingly, a discrete gel particle may be formed even if the fluid containing the agarose or other gel precursor, and the fluid contained within the microfluidic droplet, are substantially immiscible. Other aspects of the present invention are generally directed to techniques for making or using such gels within microfluidic droplets, kits containing such gels within microfluidic droplets, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: David A. Weitz, Huidan Zhang, Nai Wen Cui, Fengyang Lei, Eleftherios Paschalis llios
  • Methotrexate for proliferative vitreoretinopathy
    Patent number: 10272089
    Abstract: The use of methotrexate, e.g., repeated dosing or sustained-release formulations of methotrexate, for treating or reducing risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) or epiretinal membranes (ERM), e.g., after surgical vitrectomy to treat retinal detachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Inventors: Dean Eliott, Tomasz P. Stryjewski