Patents Examined by Valarie Bertoglio
  • Methods for vitrification of human oocytes
    Patent number: 7947497
    Abstract: Provided are methods for the vitrification of human oocytes, which comprises: (a) placing human oocytes on a transfer instrument; and (b) placing the transfer instrument and the human oocytes directly into a slushed nitrogen (N2 slush), wherein the human oocytes are directly exposed to the N2 slush thereby undergoing vitrification, and wherein the human oocytes are able to live for a period of time after the human oocytes are devitrified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignees: Chabio&Diostech Co. Ltd., College of Medicine Pochon Cha University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Tae Ki Yoon, Dong Ryul Lee, Hyung Min Chung, Kwang Yul Cha
  • Liquid crystalline substrates for culturing cells
    Patent number: 7947500
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to liquid crystalline substrates useful in the culture of cells and methods of their use. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods and devices for imaging changes (e.g., reorganization) of extracellular matrix components by living cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Abbott, Jeffrey C. Mohr, Christopher J. Murphy, Elise Huang, Juan J. DePablo, Nathan A. Lockwood, Sean P. Palecek
  • Brain tissue damage therapies
    Patent number: 7923007
    Abstract: A cultured pluripotent animal cell that is CD13+, CD90+, and CD117?. Also disclosed are methods for making the cell and methods of treating a brain tissue damage and increasing the expression level of a neuraltrophic factor in a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Academia Sinica
    Inventors: Hung Li, Woei-Cherng Shyu, Dah-Ching Ding, Shin-Zong Lin
  • Transgenic pig with altered incretin function
    Patent number: 7919673
    Abstract: The present invention relates to transgenic pigs containing a dominant-negative incretin hormone receptor, namely the dominant-negative human glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor. The present invention furthermore relates to uses of these transgenic pigs as clinically relevant animal model systems for studying the pathogenesis and novel therapies for diabetes mellitus type 2, particularly for the maintenance and expansion of pancreatic ?-cell mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignees: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, MWM Biomodels GmbH
    Inventors: Eckhard Wolf, Simone Renner, Barbara Kessler, Rüdiger Wanke, Nadja Herbach, Alexander Pfeifer, Andreas Hofmann
  • Method for detecting cancer cells and monitoring cancer therapy
    Patent number: 7910093
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for identifying cancer cells and monitoring anti-cancer therapy in the body of a mammal by systemically delivering Sindbis viral vectors. The vector can specifically target and identify tumor cells in mice growing subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intrapancreatically, or in the lungs. These findings demonstrate the remarkable specificity of the Sindbis vector system that is relatively safe and can specifically target tumor cells throughout the body via the bloodstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Daniel Meruelo, Jen-Chieh Tseng
  • Compositions and methods for inducing or inhibiting activities of selected human cells
    Patent number: 7906637
    Abstract: Polynucleotides encoding a mutant human carboxylesterase enzyme and polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides which are capable of metabolizing a prodrug and inactive metabolites thereof to active drug are provided. Compositions and methods for sensitizing cells to a prodrug agent, inhibiting cell growth, treating drug addiction, and facilitating the metabolism of an organophosphate with this enzyme are also provided. In addition, a screening assay for identification of drugs activated by this enzyme is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignees: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Philip M. Potter, Monika Weirdl, Matthew R. Redinbo
  • Chondrocyte therapeutic delivery system
    Patent number: 7897384
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for producing therapeutic agents using chondrocytes are provided. The genetically engineered chondrocytes can be used to express the therapeutic agent in a subject, including in an environment typically associated with chondrocytes and in an environment not typically associated with chondrocytes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Francois Binette, Brooks J. Story
  • Method for reconstructing a non-human mammal embryo with foetal adult differentiated cells
    Patent number: 7893316
    Abstract: The invention concerns the reconstruction in vitro of non-human mammal embryos by a method which consists in treating the nucleus of a somatic donor cell prior to its transfer into a receiver cytoplasm, said treatment comprising controlled proteolysis of non-histone proteins, and inducing an isomorphic swelling of said nucleus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Renard, Xavier Vignon
  • Pan cancer oncolytic vectors and methods of use thereof
    Patent number: 7858083
    Abstract: Replication-competent adenoviral vectors which selectively replicate in cancer cells are provided. The replication-competent viral vectors comprise an E2F responsive promoter and/or a telomerase promoter operatively linked to an adenoviral coding region. The replication-competent adenoviral vectors effectively replicate in a variety of types of cancer cells and find broad utility in the treatment of cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: DeChao Yu, Yuanhao Li
  • Inositol pyrophosphates determine exocytotic capacity
    Patent number: 7855049
    Abstract: The invention provides reagents and methods for treating type II diabetes, as well as methods for identifying compounds for treating type II diabetes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: BioCrine AB
    Inventors: Per-Olof Berggren, Christopher Barker
  • Hybrid hepatocyte growth factor gene having high expression efficiency of two heterotypes of hepatocyte growth factor
    Patent number: 7838505
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hybrid Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) gene which is prepared by inserting an inherent or foreign intron between exons 4 and 5 in HGF cDNA, which has a base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. The gene has high expression efficiency and simultaneously expresses two heterotypes of HGF and dHGF (deleted variant HGF). Further the gene may be used for treating or preventing ischemic or liver diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: ViroMed Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Mook Kim, Woong Hahn
  • Methods for introducing heterologous cells into fish
    Patent number: 7838726
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of introducing heterologous cells into fish. After introduction cells remain viable, and in some instances proliferate, for sufficient time to conduct a variety of analyses on the heterologous cells or the fish or both. Such methods are useful for screening potential drugs for toxicity toward introduced cells or for capacity to stimulate differentiation and/or proliferation of introduced cells. Such methods are also useful for diagnosing the presence of small quantities of cancerous cells or pathogens in patient tissue samples. Such methods are also useful for culturing cells for subsequent use in cell or tissue engineering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Phylonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: George N Serbedzija, Patricia McGrath
  • Materials and methods relating to protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disease
    Patent number: 7834237
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of inducing or modeling a disease associated with pathological tau protein aggregation. The method can be carried out in vitro and animal models, and may be used to screen for therapeutic, prognostic or diagnostic agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: WisTa Laboratories Ltd.
    Inventors: Claude Michel Wischik, Janet Elizabeth Rickard, David Horsley, Charles Robert Harrington, Franz Theuring, Karsten Stamer, Claudia Zabke
  • Method for generating hypermutable organisms
    Patent number: 7829338
    Abstract: Dominant negative alleles of human mismatch repair genes can be used to generate hypermutable cells and organisms. By introducing these genes into cells and transgenic animals, new cell lines and animal varieties with novel and useful properties can be prepared more efficiently than by relying on the natural rate of mutation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Nicholas Nicolaides, Bert Vogelstein, Kenneth Kinzler
  • Production of ungulates, preferably bovines that produce human immunoglobulins
    Patent number: 7820878
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing an ungulate having both copies of the IgM heavy chain (mu) rag-1 and/or rag-2 gene eliminated from its genome. Animals which have IgM, rag-1 and/or rag-2 eliminated from their genome are unable to conduct the gene rearrangements that are necessary to generate the antigen receptors of B- or T-lymphocytes, and therefore will not develop native B- or T-cells. Because they are unable to produce B- and T-lymphocytes, these IgM, rag-1, or rag-2 ungulates cannot reject human hematopoietic stem cell preparations, and B- and T-lymphocytes which develop therefrom. Therefore, the present invention also involves injecting into IgM, rag-1, and/or rag-2 deficient ungulates, in utero or shortly after birth, human B- and T-lymphocytes whose immune systems produce human immunoglobulin that can be processed for therapeutic uses in humans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Richard A. Goldsby, James M. Robl, Barbara A. Osborne, Yoshimi Kuroiwa
  • Method of forming dendritic cells from embryonic stem cells
    Patent number: 7811821
    Abstract: This invention relates to the culture of dendritic cells from human embryonic stem (ES) cells. Human ES cells are first cultured into hematopoietic cells by co-culture with stromal cells. The cells now differentiated into the hematopoietic lineage are then cultured with GM-CSF to create a culture of myeloid precursor cells. Culture of the myeloid precursor cells with the cytokines GM-CSF and IL-4 causes functional dendritic cells to be generated. The dendritic cells have a unique phenotype, as indicated by their combination of cell surface markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Igor I. Slukvin, James A. Thomson, Maksym A. Vodyanyk, Maryna E. Gumenyuk
  • Embryoid body-based screen
    Patent number: 7803619
    Abstract: Disclosed are embryoid bodies having a uniform size of approximately 415 nm and comprising genetically modified embryonic stem cells, and methods of making same. The genetically uniform embryoid bodies can be multiplexed as one embryoid body per well in a multiwell format, and used as a high to medium throughput screen for test agents that affect the development and homeostasis of animals, including humans. The genetic modification of the embryonic stem cells is a promoter-report-selection construct that enables the selection and detection of cells of a particular lineage in the EB, to determine the effects of a test agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Geneprotech, Inc.
    Inventor: Uthayashanker Ezekiel
  • Utilization of histamine receptor h3 gene participating in body weight or food intake control
    Patent number: 7767881
    Abstract: To clarify histamine receptor H3 protein function in vivo, the present inventors constructed a nonhuman higher animal in which the expression of a histamine receptor H3 gene was artificially inhibited. As a result, the present inventors found that this nonhuman higher animal showed increased body weight, food intake, blood insulin level, or blood leptin level compared with a control. Thus, the present inventors found that abnormalities in the histamine receptor H3 protein relate to diseases characterized by changes in body weight or food intake, and this has made it possible to screen drugs for treatment or prevention of these diseases, and to examine these diseases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Banyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehito Kotani, Kazuhiko Takahashi, Hiroaki Suwa
  • Methods of screening agents for activity using teleosts
    Patent number: 7767880
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods of screening an agent for activity using teleosts. Methods of screening an agent for angiogenesis activity, toxic activity and an effect cell death activity in teleosts are provided. Methods of screening an agent for an activity in the brain or central nervous system in zebrafish are provided. The invention further provides high throughput methods of screening agents in multi-well plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Phylonix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    Inventors: Patricia McGrath, Chuenlei Parng, George N. Serbedzija
  • Liquid crystalline substrates for culturing cells
    Patent number: 7732152
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to liquid crystalline substrates useful in the culture of cells and methods of their use. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods and devices for imaging changes (e.g., reorganization) of extracellular matrix components by living cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Abbott, Jeffrey C. Mohr, Christopher J. Murphy, Elise Huang, Juan J. De Pablo, Sean P. Palecek, Nathan A. Lockwood