Patents Assigned to Whitehead Institute
  • Patent number: 9155724
    Abstract: In some aspects, the invention provides compositions and methods of use for treating a variety of diseases. In some aspect, the compositions and methods involve combined modulation of transcriptional modulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Peter B. Rahl, Richard A. Young
  • Publication number: 20150259298
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel compounds (e.g., compounds of Formula (I)), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, hydrate, polymorphs, co-crystals, tautomers, stereoisomers, isotopically labeled derivatives, prodrugs, and compositions thereof. Also provided are methods and kits comprising the inventive compounds, or compositions thereof, for treating and/or preventing a fungal or protozoan infection, inhibiting the activity of a fungal or protozoan enzyme, killing a fungus or protozoan, or inhibiting the growth of a fungus or protozoan. The fungus may be a Candida species, Sacchawmyces species, or other pathogenic fungal species. The compounds of the invention may inhibit the activity of fungal or protozoan mitochondrial phosphate carrier protein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Applicants: Whitehead Institute for biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Broad Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Vincent, Luke Whitesell, Susan L. Lindquist, Willmen Youngsaye, Stephen L. Buchwald, Jean-Baptiste Langlois, Jun Pu, Benito Munoz, Sivaraman Dandapani
  • Patent number: 9102919
    Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods of use in reprogramming somatic cells. Compositions and methods of the invention are of use, e.g., for generating or modulating (e.g., enhancing) generation of induced pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming somatic cells. The reprogrammed somatic cells are useful for a number of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a pluripotent state and/or enhances the speed and/or efficiency of reprogramming. Certain of the compositions and methods relate to modulating the Wnt pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Brett Chevalier, Alexander Marson, Richard A. Young, Ruth Foreman, Rudolf Jaenisch
  • Publication number: 20150126377
    Abstract: Methods of selection of nucleic acids using solution hybridization, methods of sequencing nucleic acids including such selection methods, and products for use in the methods are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: ANDREAS GNIRKE, Chad Nusbaum, Eric S. Lander
  • Patent number: 9018003
    Abstract: Disclosed are genes that, when overexpressed in cells expressing alpha-synuclein, either suppress or enhance alpha-synuclein mediated cellular toxicity. Compounds that modulate expression of these genes or activity of the encoded proteins can be used to inhibit alpha-synuclein mediated toxicity and used to treat or prevent synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease. Also disclosed are methods of identifying inhibitors of alpha-synuclein mediated toxicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Susan L. Lindquist, Aaron D. Gitler, Anil Cashikar
  • Patent number: 9011821
    Abstract: In some aspects, the invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting viral infection. In some aspects, the invention provides compositions and methods useful for identifying antiviral compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Thijn R. Brummelkamp, Jan E. Carette
  • Patent number: 9012138
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a Drosophila in vitro system which was used to demonstrate that dsRNA is processed to RNA segments 21-23 nucleotides (nt) in length. Furthermore, when these 21-23 nt fragments are purified and added back to Drosophila extracts, they mediate RNA interference in the absence of long dsRNA. Thus, these 21-23 nt fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNA degradation. A molecular signal, which may be their specific length, must be present in these 21-23 nt fragments to recruit cellular factors involved in RNAi. This present invention encompasses these 21-23 nt fragments and their use for specifically inactivating gene function. The use of these fragments (or chemically synthesized oligonucleotides of the same or similar nature) enables the targeting of specific mRNAs for degradation in mammalian cells, where the use of long dsRNAs to elicit RNAi is usually not practical, presumably because of the deleterious effects of the interferon response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften E.V., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas Tuschl, Phillip D. Zamore, Phillip A. Sharp, David P. Bartel
  • Patent number: 9012621
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a Drosophila in vitro system which was used to demonstrate that dsRNA is processed to RNA segments 21-23 nucleotides (nt) in length. Furthermore, when these 21-23 nt fragments are purified and added back to Drosophila extracts, they mediate RNA interference in the absence of long dsRNA. Thus, these 21-23 nt fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNA degradation. A molecular signal, which may be their specific length, must be present in these 21-23 nt fragments to recruit cellular factors involved in RNAi. This present invention encompasses these 21-23 nt fragments and their use for specifically inactivating gene function. The use of these fragments (or chemically synthesized oligonucleotides of the same or similar nature) enables the targeting of specific mRNAs for degradation in mammalian cells, where the use of long dsRNAs to elicit RNAi is usually not practical, presumably because of the deleterious effects of the interferon response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften E.V., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas Tuschl, Phillip D. Zamore, Phillip A. Sharp, David P. Bartel
  • Patent number: 8999660
    Abstract: The invention describes isolated mTOR-associated proteins (“mTOR-APs”) as well as isolated variants and fragments thereof and the isolated nucleic acids encoding them. The invention also describes vectors and host cells containing nucleic acid encoding an mTOR-AP polypeptide and methods for producing an mTOR-AP polypeptide. Also described are methods for screening for compounds which modulate mTOR-AP activity and methods for treating or preventing a disorder that is responsive to mTOR-AP modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: David M. Sabatini, Do-Hyung Kim, Dos D. Sarbassov
  • Patent number: 8993745
    Abstract: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing in many organisms by a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Using a Drosophila in vitro system, we demonstrate that 19-23 nt short RNA fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNAi. The short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are generated by an RNase III-like processing reaction from long dsRNA. Chemically synthesized siRNA duplexes with overhanging 3? ends mediate efficient target RNA cleavage in the lysate, and the cleavage site is located near the center of the region spanned by the guiding siRNA. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the direction of dsRNA processing determines whether sense or antisense target RNA can be cleaved by the produced siRNP complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften E.V., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas Tuschl, Sayda Mahgoub Elbashir, Winfried Lendeckel
  • Publication number: 20150072391
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides, in various aspects, engineered alcohol tolerant yeast and methods of producing high concentrations of ethanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Felix Lam, Gerald Fink, Gregory Stephanopoulos
  • Patent number: 8957197
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a Drosophila in vitro system which was used to demonstrate that dsRNA is processed to RNA segments 21-23 nucleotides (nt) in length. Furthermore, when these 21-23 nt fragments are purified and added back to Drosophila extracts, they mediate RNA interference in the absence of long dsRNA. Thus, these 21-23 nt fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNA degradation. A molecular signal, which may be their specific length, must be present in these 21-23 nt fragments to recruit cellular factors involved in RNAi. This present invention encompasses these 21-23 nt fragments and their use for specifically inactivating gene function. The use of these fragments (or chemically synthesized oligonucleotides of the same or similar nature) enables the targeting of specific mRNAs for degradation in mammalian cells, where the use of long dsRNAs to elicit RNAi is usually not practical, presumably because of the deleterious effects of the interferon response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften E.V., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas Tuschl, Phillip D. Zamore, Phillip A. Sharp, David P. Bartel
  • Patent number: 8951797
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for reprogramming somatic cells to generate multipotent or pluripotent cells. Such methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a less differentiated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Rudolf Jaenisch, Konrad Hochedlinger
  • Patent number: 8940536
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for reprogramming somatic cells to generate multipotent or pluripotent cells. Such methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a less differentiated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Rudolf Jaenisch, Konrad Hochedlinger
  • Patent number: 8940501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for ligation. The invention provides novel reagents and methods for ligating an acyl donor compound with an acyl acceptor compound. Provided acyl donor compounds comprise a transamidase recognition sequence that allows ligation with a nucleophilic acyl acceptor in the presence of transamidase. The invention further provides kits comprising acyl donor compounds and optionally comprising other reagents for ligation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Hidde L. Ploegh, John M. Antos, Maximilian Wei-Lin Popp, Carla Guimaraes
  • Patent number: 8936939
    Abstract: The invention provides tissue culture system for primary cells (e.g. normal mammalian primary epithelial progenitors). This system includes: a) a serum-free, chemically defined cell culture media; and, b) methods for isolation and in vitro long-term propagation of primary cells (e.g. primary epithelial cells). Primary cells so isolated and cultured can be kept undifferentiated and proliferate for many weeks (>15 weeks) or population doubling (>35 PD) without senescence, or any detectable genetic alterations. Upon changing media/culture conditions, these cells can be induced to differentiate. The invention also provides methods to transform normal primary cells so cultured into “cancer stem cells.” The genetically defined cancer stem cell tumor model mimics the behavior of the disease closely, e.g., the cells are invasive, hormone responsive and metastatic when injected into mice. The tumor cells express genes that are specific to cancer stem cells identified in patient samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignees: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventors: Tan A. Ince, Robert A. Weinberg
  • Patent number: 8932856
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for reprogramming somatic cells to generate multipotent or pluripotent cells. Such methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a less differentiated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Rudolf Jaenisch, Konrad Hochedlinger
  • Patent number: 8933044
    Abstract: Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) induces sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing in many organisms by a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). Using a Drosophila in vitro system, we demonstrate that 19-23 nt short RNA fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNAi. The short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are generated by an RNase III-like processing reaction from long dsRNA. Chemically synthesized siRNA duplexes with overhanging 3? ends mediate efficient target RNA cleavage in the lysate, and the cleavage site is located near the center of the region spanned by the guiding siRNA. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the direction of dsRNA processing determines whether sense or antisense target RNA can be cleaved by the produced siRNP complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften E.V., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Thomas Tuschl, Sayda Mahgoub Elbashir, Winfried Lendeckel
  • Publication number: 20150011611
    Abstract: In some aspects, methods of inhibiting survival or proliferation of a tumor cell are provided, the methods comprising inhibiting the glycine cleavage system (GCS) of the tumor cell. In some aspects, methods of treating a subject in need of treatment for a tumor, the method comprising inhibiting the GCS in the tumor. In some embodiments, the methods comprise contacting a tumor cell or tumor with a GCS inhibitor. In some embodiments, the tumor cell or tumor has elevated expression of serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SH1VIT2). In some aspects, methods of identifying a tumor cell or tumor that is sensitive to inhibiting the GCS are provided, the methods comprising determining whether the tumor cell or tumor overexpresses SHMT2. In some aspects, methods of identifying a candidate anti-cancer agent are provided, the methods comprising identifying or modifying a GCS inhibitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Dohoon Kim, David M. Sabatini, Richard Possemato
  • Patent number: 8927279
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for reprogramming somatic cells to generate multipotent or pluripotent cells. Such methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including treating or preventing a medical condition in an individual. The invention further provides methods for identifying an agent that reprograms somatic cells to a less differentiated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
    Inventors: Rudolf Jaenisch, Konrad Hochedlinger