Patents Assigned to Tufts University
  • Patent number: 9913855
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to the use of uridine diphosphate (UDP) derivatives, salts and/or prodrugs thereof for the treatment of inflammatory conditions (e.g., psoriasis) and glaucoma, to prodrugs of UDP derivatives, compositions comprising therapeutically effective amounts of those prodrugs of the UDP derivatives and methods of using those prodrugs for treating various disorders including, e.g., neuronal disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease) and traumatic CNS injury, pain, Down Syndrome (DS), glaucoma, and inflammatory conditions, e.g., psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: Philip G. Haydon, Jinbo Lee
  • Patent number: 9914950
    Abstract: According to some aspects of the invention, provided herein are methods of amplifying nucleic acids using homopolymer-mediated ligation. The methods, in some embodiments, comprise adding a first homopolymer of at least 12 nucleotides to each 3? end of blunt-ended double-stranded nucleic acid containing a target nucleic acid, thereby producing a partially double-stranded nucleic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: David W. Lazinski, Andrew Camilli
  • Publication number: 20180055917
    Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for treating inflammatory diseases, such as cardiac or hepatic inflammatory diseases, involving the use of parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF), or fragment of PDNF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: MERCIO A. PERRIN
  • Publication number: 20180044643
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for vaccination and research applications. In particular, provided herein are non-neuroinvasive herpesviruses and alpha herpesviruses and uses thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicants: Northwestern University, Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, Trustees of Tufts College (AKA Tufts University)
    Inventors: Gregory A. Smith, Patricia Jane Sollars, Gary Edward Pickard, Ekaterina E. Heldwein
  • Publication number: 20170362310
    Abstract: Methods, compositions and kits are provided for treating a subject exposed to or at risk for exposure to a disease agent, methods, compositions and kits having a pharmaceutical composition including at least one recombinant binding protein or a source of expression of the binding protein, wherein the binding protein neutralizes at least one or a plurality of disease agents that are toxins, for example at least one of a Botulinum toxin or an Anthrax toxin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: CHARLES B. SHOEMAKER
  • Patent number: 9834616
    Abstract: Methods, compositions and kits are provided for treating a subject exposed to or at risk for exposure to a disease agent using a pharmaceutical composition including at least one recombinant heteromultimeric neutralizing binding protein including two or multiple binding regions, such that the binding regions are not identical, and each binding region specifically binds a non-overlapping portion of the disease agent, thereby treating the subject for exposure to the disease agent. In a related embodiment, the heteromultimeric neutralizing binding protein includes two or multiple binding regions that neutralize a plurality of disease agents. In certain embodiments, the disease agent includes a bacterium, a bacterial protein, a virus, a viral protein, a cancer cell, and a protein or molecule produced therefrom. In certain embodiments, the disease agent is a plurality of different disease agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: Charles B. Shoemaker, Hanping Feng
  • Patent number: 9802374
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a biopolymer sensor including providing a biopolymer, processing the biopolymer to yield a biopolymer matrix solution, adding a biological material in the biopolymer matrix, providing a substrate, casting the matrix solution on the substrate, and drying the biopolymer matrix solution to form a solidified biopolymer sensor on the substrate. A biopolymer sensor is also provided that includes a solidified biopolymer film with an embedded biological material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: David L. Kaplan, Fiorenzo Omenetto, Brian Lawrence, Mark Cronin-Golomb, Irene Georgakoudi
  • Patent number: 9765022
    Abstract: A compound of formula the following formula: (I). In this formula, moieties A, B, X, R1, R2, and R3 are defined herein. Also disclosed are a nanocomplex that is formed of such a compound and a pharmaceutical agent, and a nanocomplex that is formed of a protein and a bioreducible compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: Qiaobing Xu, Ming Wang
  • Patent number: 9767774
    Abstract: An apparatus for making music includes a cymbal, an acoustic transducer, a signal-processing system that receives a first signal from the acoustic transducer and that generates a second signal based on a property of the first signal, and a classifier that determines a particular manner in which the cymbal was struck based on the second signal, and provides an output trigger signal for triggering production of a sound that consistent with the particular manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Paul D. Lehrman, Chris Penny, Cody Chen, Noel Hwang, Robert White
  • Patent number: 9761789
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for preparing silk-based piezoelectric materials and methods for increasing piezoelectricity in silk matrices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: Fiorenzo Omenetto, David Kaplan, Tuna Yucel
  • Patent number: 9750760
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to prodrugs of uridine diphosphate (UDP) derivatives, compositions comprising therapeutically effective amounts of those prodrugs of the UDP derivatives and methods of using those prodrugs or compositions in treating disorders that are responsive to ligands, such as agonists, of P2Y6 receptor, e.g., neuronal disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease) and traumatic CNS injury, pain, Down Syndrome (DS), glaucoma, and inflammatory conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Philip G. Haydon, Jinbo Lee
  • Patent number: 9744220
    Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for treating inflammatory diseases, such as cardiac or hepatic inflammatory diseases, involving the use of parasite-derived neurotrophic factor (PDNF), or fragment of PDNF. The invention also provides compositions featuring PDNF, or a fragment thereof, and methods for using such compositions for the proliferation and/or mobilization of a stem cell (e.g., cardiac stem cell) or progenitor cell (e.g., hepatic progenitor cell). In one aspect, the invention provides a method of decreasing inflammation in a nonneuronal tissue of a subject. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of decreasing inflammation in a cardiac, liver, pancreas, or gastrointestinal tissue of a subject. In still another aspect, the invention provides a method of increasing expression of an anti-inflammatory factor in a non-neuronal cell or tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventor: Mercio A. Perrin
  • Patent number: 9725452
    Abstract: The present invention relates to heterocyclic compounds (e.g., compounds described by Formula (I)) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The invention also features pharmaceutical compositions that include these compounds and their use in therapy for treating conditions in which necroptosis is likely to play a substantial role. The heterocyclic compounds described herein can also achieve improved activity and selectivity towards RIP1 and/or RIP3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignees: Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tufts University, University of Houston
    Inventors: Junying Yuan, Alexei Degterev, Gregory D. Cuny
  • Publication number: 20170218228
    Abstract: 3D printing of biopolymer-based inks provides for manufacturing a broad range of products with desirable properties. A print nozzle may be charged to form a cone-shaped ink droplet to result in increased resolution, more reliable contact with irregular surfaces, and a mechanism to control contacting the ink to the print surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: Tufts University
    Inventors: Rodrigo R. JOSE, Fiorenzo OMENETTO, David KAPLAN
  • Patent number: 9720095
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for verifying the quality of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. The system includes a GNSS receiver, a wireless communications device, and a fault detection processor. The GNSS receiver includes a GNSS antenna for receiving signals from a plurality of global navigation satellites and a processor for calculating a ranging measurement for each of the global navigation satellites from the GNSS receiver to the global navigation satellite. The wireless communications device receives ranging measurements from at least one other GNSS receiver. The fault detection processor performs a fault detection algorithm to determine if there is an anomaly affecting the ranging measurements of the GNSS receiver and the at least one other GNSS receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventor: Jason Rife
  • Publication number: 20170209535
    Abstract: Compositions, methods and kits are provided for treating complement related disorders in a subject with protein in combination having protein fusions of at least two of a CD46 protein, a CD55 protein and a CD59 protein or with a recombinant chimeric protein having at least two of a CD46 protein, a CD55 protein and a CD59 protein or with nucleic acids encoding these proteins. The composition negatively modulates classical and alternative complement pathways thereby treating complement related disorder such as macular degeneration, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroiditis, cryoglobulinaemia, fetal loss, organ graft rejection, cancer, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Rajendra Kumar-Singh, Derek Leaderer, Siobhan Cashman
  • Publication number: 20170202915
    Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for treating and/or preventing lymphangiogenesis in a subject by using an inhibitor of a galectin-8 protein in an amount effective to inhibit or to modulate an activity of the galectin-8 protein or a portion thereof sufficient to inhibit the lymphangiogenesis associated with cancer, corneal injury, dry eye disease, inflammation, lymphedema, organ rejection or graft rejection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Noorjahan Panjwani, Wei-Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9701646
    Abstract: Provided are certain 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,3-triazole dimer analogs of DM-PIT-1 which are second-generation selective non-phosphoinositide small molecule inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), including 1,2,3-triazoles represented by formula (I) where: Ar represents aryl or heteroaryl; X represents O or S; each of Ra, Rb, Rc, and Rd independently represents hydrogen, halogen, C1-C10alkyl, —OH, —CF3, aryl, amino, or nitro; and Ar is optionally substituted with one or more substituents independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C1-C10alkyl, —OH, —CF3, amino, and nitro. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds of the invention and a pharmaceutical carrier. Also provided are methods of inhibiting PIP3-mediated signaling in a cell and treating cancer using compounds of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignees: TUFTS UNIVERSITY, COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
    Inventors: Alexei Degterev, Chepuri V. Ramana, Jinbo Lee, Yadagiri Kommagalla
  • Patent number: 9610333
    Abstract: Methods for immunizing a subject to an antigen of an infectious agent, a tumor, or an allergen are provided, using vegetative cytoplasmic expression of the antigen or spore surface display of the antigen, and contacting the subject with a composition including a spore or a vegetative cell or both with or without an adjuvant. Also included are thermally-stable vaccine compositions using the method described above and kits including the compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Tufts University
    Inventors: John E. Herrmann, Boris R. Belitsky, Abraham L. Sonenshein, Saul Tzipori
  • Patent number: 9603810
    Abstract: The present invention provides for photonic nanoimprinted silk fibroin-based materials and methods for making same, comprising embossing silk fibroin-based films with photonic nanometer scale patterns. In addition, the invention provides for processes by which the silk fibroin-based films can be nanoimprinted at room temperature, by locally decreasing the glass transition temperature of the silk film. Such nanoimprinting process increases high throughput and improves potential for incorporation of silk-based photonics into biomedical and other optical devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jason J. Amsden, David L. Kaplan, Fiorenzo G. Omenetto