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Immunology
ID# UMF-01
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Technology Immunomodulating Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 25 (TNFR25) Agonists, Antagonists and Immunotoxins
Scientific Revelance The invention uses immunomodulating agents that can both stimulate the immune system or have an immunosuppressive effect.  TNFR25 agonists and antagonists have pro and anti-inflammatory action, respectively.  TNFR25 agonists can support tumor vaccination, while TNFR25 antagonists can treat disease caused by chronic inflammation and autoimmunity (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease).
Commercial Opportunity  Inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease cost between $3-5 billion annually to treat. To have a novel approach to these diseases that would also apply to transplantation autoimmunity is a unique commercial opportunity. 
Competitve Advantage Tumor vaccines that are currently available are often suppressed in the tumor environment.  This approach increases the vaccine’s ability to act on the tumor due to increased stability.   The myriad of biological effects that this immunomodulating agent can achieve is far superior to anything currently in use.
Inventors Vadim Deyev, Robert B. Levy and Eckhard R. Podack
ID# UME-42
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Technology Antibody NKG2D Ligand Fusion Protein For Cancer Therapy
Scientific Revelance Certain anticancer drugs (e.g. Herceptin for breast cancer) act by attaching to specific receptors (HER2/neu) and thereby destroy tumor cells that express the receptor.  However, these drugs have reduced efficacy when the target antigen is inadequately expressed, or if immune function is impaired. One approach to overcome this, is to take advantage of a protein NKG2D-Ligand (NKG2D-L) that is ubiquitously expressed during times of infection and stress.  When NKG2D-L is bound to its specific receptor, there is increased cell killing potential.  Linking anti-tumor antibodies to NKG2D-L proteins increases the ability of immune effector cells to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. This approach could be used for a variety of anti-oncogenic applications.
Commercial Opportunity Adjuvant therapy for cancer is a multi billion dollar industry.  In the near future, as the population ages it is expected that expenditure for this type of drug will increase at a faster rate than any other category of medication.
Competitve Advantage Targeting molecules for cancer therapy allow much lower concentration of the toxic chemotherapeutic agent to be used. The advantage of this approach over non targeted molecules is its stability and the ability to use lower concentration.
Inventors Joseph D. Rosenblatt, Seung-Uon Shin, and Khaled A. Tolba
ID# UMF-31
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Technology Transgenic Mice Expressing A Real-Time Reporter For Cellular Camp In A Tissue-Selective And Inducible Manner
Scientific Revelance Cyclic AMP (cAMP) mediates the response to hormones, neurotransmitters and other molecules in practically every tissue of the body.  The inventors have generated a unique transgenic mouse that is able to express an inducible fluorescent cAMP reporter in targeted cells and tissues.  To achieve this, transgenic mice carrying the newly generated and unique cAMP reporter are mated with mice carrying an appropriate, tissue-specific, antibiotic-sensitive triggering mechanism in their genome.  Mice tailored to a specific tissue can be readily generated. By injecting a commonly available antibiotic, researchers can then induce the synthesis of the cAMP reporter in pre-specified cells.  Using this mouse model, cAMP can be examined in intact organs, tissues and cells both in vitro and in vivo. The transgenic mouse will make it possible to monitor how intracellular cAMP levels change in response to metabolites, transmitters, hormones, and drugs in real time and with high spatial resolution (i.e., single cells and even subcellular regions). 
Commercial Opportunity This mouse is an important drug discovery tool.  Pharmaceutical industry scientists as well as academic researches can use this mouse to monitor responses to existing drugs and develop new ones. Additionally, this mouse could be used to test the effects of treatments affecting the brain, spinal cord, or autonomic nervous system.
Competitve Advantage This only mouse model available that allows responses to drugs, metabolites, transmitters, hormones, pharmaceuticals, etc. to be monitored visually in vivo.   Furthermore, the response can be seen in real time with high spatial resolution.
Inventors Nirupa Chaudhari, and Stephen D. Roper
ID# UMH-01
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Technology Antibody-endostatin fusion protein and its variants.
Scientific Revelance This invention relates to compositions and methods for targeting and modulating the activity of tumor cells.  In particular, the invention relates to chimeric fusion molecules which have a tumor antigen targeting domain and an anti-tumor effector function domain.
Commercial Opportunity The sale of anti angiogenic molecules have reached the $600 million level and it is predicted by Forbes magazine to reach the billion dollar level in the next few years when it becomes applicable to colon, bladder, head and neck and prostate cancer. This approach is a huge improvement over these drugs.
Competitve Advantage As effective as anti angiogenic molecules are they have half life and concentration problems that this technology addresses.
Inventors Sherrie Morrison, Joseph D. Rosenblatt, and Seung-uon Shin
ID# CC001
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Technology Breakthrough Treatment for Asthma and Other Inflammatory Lung Diseases
Scientific Revelance The main pathological feature of asthma is airway inflammation. Researchers at the University of Miami have identified the molecule that is responsible for triggering a chain of events that induce asthma. Studies in a mouse asthma model have demonstrated that blockage of this pathway prevents lung inflammation.
Commercial Opportunity Estimated at $14 billion in direct medical expenditures, treatment of asthma remains an important public health problem associated with significant health care costs.
Competitve Advantage
  • Target specificity unparalleled in conventional treatments
  • Reduce or eliminate many of the side-effects of current treatments
  • Could cure asthma and other inflammatory lung diseases
Inventors Drs. Eckhard Podack, Vadim Deyev, and Robert Levy

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