A dietary supplement that protects brain cells from the effects of TBI and concussion Problem: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability. Mild TBIs (such as concussion) are particularly common for athletes and warfighters and can produce disabilities without immediate brain cell death. This may be due to damage to...

­ Targeting retinoic acid (RA) synthesizing enzymes or RA receptors with small molecules boosts the immune system towards a tumor rejection response Problem: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer globally. In the US alone, 33 000 patients are diagnosed yearly, 27 000 of which will die. Once metastasized, HCC shows...

We have isolated, cloned, and characterized multiple T cell receptors (TCRs) from human donors specific for common mutations in KRAS and restricted to highly prevalent HLA types. These TCRs, protected by a Penn provisional filing, are suitable for T cell engineering for the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer patients of select HLA types and tumors expressing...

Simplified and reproducible two-step differentiation method optimized for efficient differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells into retinal progenitor cells and functional retinal ganglion cells Problem: More than three million Americans live with glaucoma – a disease that can cause blindness resulting from optic nerve damage....

A split enzyme complex enabling precise gene editing Technology Overview: The ability to target DNA deaminases to specific loci in concert with CRISPR/Cas systems has opened up new frontiers with the potential to transform biology and medicine by allowing for precise genome editing. At the same time, current DNA “base editors” typically...

Dental implant that inhibits plaque accumulation and gingival tissue inflammation by photobiomodulation therapy delivered by embedded light-emitting diodes (LEDs) powered by electricity generated from the patient’s own oral motion. Problem: More than half of adults will lose one or more teeth in their lifetime. When a patient loses a tooth the...

CRISPR-Cas12a allowing for simultaneous editing of multiple genes in mammalian cells Problem: CRISPR-based gene editing technique has revolutionized the field of molecular biology. While CRISPR-Cas9-based methods are effectively used for single-gene knockout, multiplex gene editing remains a major challenge. Unlike Cas9, Cas12a can be used for multigene...

A method to rapidly detect the presence of EGFRvIII mutations in cancers and normal tissue using digital PCR. Problem: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain cancer with poor prognosis. EGFRvIII is a mutation in the Extracellular Growth Factor Receptor that frequently occurs in GBM tumors. Targeting EGFRvIII mutations is an emerging...

Methods for generating single chain variable region Fragments (scFvs) for use as targeting agents for the treatment of infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases in dogs. Problem: Cancer is the leading cause of death in our current canine pet population. Previous studies have found that 45% of dogs aged 10 years or older and 23% of dogs...

The fully human CAR targets mesothelin, a surface protein overexpressed in several cancer types. P4, a human antibody fragment that binds human mesothelin with high specificity, is fused to T cell signaling domains such as 28z. The T cells engineered to express this CAR are shown to shrink tumors in a mouse model bearing human ovarian tumors overexpressing...