Nucleic Acids Encoding a Leptospira Outer Membrane Protein
Participating UCLA Inventor:
David A. Haake
An antigenic preparation is provided that contains a 63 Kd outer membrane protein from Leptospira, which can be used immunologically as a vaccine for leptospirosis caused by this organism. Also provided in the invention are polynucleotides encoding the protein and antibodies that bind the protein; these are useful in the diagnosis of leptospirosis.
U.S. Patent No. 5,643,754
Issued: July 1, 1997

Adenocarcinoma Cell Basement Membrane Composition
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Sanford H. Barsky, Mark Sternlicht
Methods and compositions are provided for the culture of human primary carcinomas and in situ carcinomas. Feeder layers derived from a human parotid basal cell carcinoma, having the HMS-1 phenotype, are able to support the growth of the primary carcinomas, and allow for spheroid formation. Invasion inhibiting factors active against human tumors, derived from HMS-1, are also provided. Human basement membrane and extracellular matrix are provided, produced by a tumorigenic cell line, where the basement membrane and extracellular matrix can be used for the growth of a variety of cells, in culture and in vivo. Also provided are other cell lines that can serve to evaluate in vivo the response of tumorigenic cells to various agents, including basement membrane and extracellular matrix. The basement membrane and extracellular matrix finds use in allowing the growth of cells in culture and in vivo, particularly cells that are otherwise refractory to xenografting.
U.S. Patent No. 5,643,787
Issued: July 1, 1997

Free-Space Integrated Micro-Pickup Head for Optical Data Storage and a Micro-Optical Bench
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Ming C. Wu, Lih-Yuan Lin
A monolithically integrated optical disk pickup head is comprised of three-dimensional collimating focusing lenses, a beam splitter and 45-degree reflectors that define an optical axis in free-space using surface micromachining technology to fabricate hinged vertical optical structures.
U.S. Patent No. 5,646,928
Issued: July 8, 1997

Compositions for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy and Methods Thereof
Participating UCLA Inventors:
M. Frederick Hawthorne, Debra A. Feakes, Kenneth J. Shelly
Provides composition and methods to deliver free and liposome-encapsulated borane compounds, in therapeutically useful concentrations, to tumors for use in neutron capture therapy. The liposomal encapsulation allows the energy-emitting borane compounds to be localized to tumor sites.
U.S. Patent No. 5,648,532
Issued: July 15, 1997

Serum Immunoregulatory Polypeptides and Uses Thereof
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Yi-Han Chang, Edward Abraham
Previously unisolated serum immunoregulatory polypeptides (SIPs) having a molecular weight of approximately 14,000 to 31,000 are provided. The SIPs may be obtained from hemorrhagic serum of mammals and have been shown to activate suppressor T-cells and suppress lymphocyte proliferation and interleukin production. There is a significant homology among SIPs of different mammalian species. The amino acid sequence of an SIP having a molecular weight of about 16,000 is provided. In addition, immunosuppressive polypeptides are identified that have the formula X-Met-Asp-Ala-His-Pro-Pro-Arg-Leu-Phe-Ala-Cys-Ser-Y, wherein X is an amino acid sequence having from 1 to 10 amino acids and Y is an amino acid sequence having from 1 to 110 amino acids.
U.S. Patent No. 5,650,487
Issued: July 22, 1997

Cloned Leptospira Outer Membrane Protein
Participating UCLA Inventors:
David A. Haake, Cheryl I. Champion, David R. Blanco, Michael A. Lovett, James N. Miller
An antigenic preparation is provided containing a 31Kd outer membrane protein from Leptospira that can be used immunologically as a vaccine for leptospirosis caused by this organism.
U.S. Patent No. 5,658,757
Issued: August 19, 1997

Converting Acoustic Energy into Useful Other Energy Forms
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Seth J. Putterman, Robert A. Hiller, Rivta M. Lofstedt, Bradley P. Barber
Sonoluminescence is a phenomenon in which the energy in a resonant sound wave in a liquid is highly concentrated so as to generate flashes of light. By creating a gas bubble in a liquid in a container and subjecting it to the action of acoustic energy applied to the liquid, an emission of a different energy form can be generated from the bubble. Through the use of feedback techniques, it is possible to regulate and sustain the emission generation of this different energy form. The conversion of sound to light represents an energy amplification of 11 orders of magnitude. The flashes last for fewer than 100 picoseconds and display a clock-like synchronicity. The emission is blue to the eye and has a broadband spectrum and a peak power of about 100 milliWatts. When the gas contains deuterium and tritium, it is feasible for the other energy form to be fusion, namely including the generation of neutrons.
U.S. Patent No. 5,659,173
Issued: August 19, 1997

CMOS Integrated Microsensor with a Precision Measurement Circuit
Participating UCLA Inventors:
William J. Kaiser, Kristofer S. Pister, Phyllis R. Nelson, Oscar M. Stafsudd, Amit Burstein
Improved microsensors are provided by combining surface micromachined substrates, including integrated CMOS circuitry, together with bulk micromachined wafer bonded substrates, which include at least part of a microelectromechanical sensing element. In the case of an accelerometer, the proof mass is included within the wafer bonded bulk machined substrate, which is bonded to the CMOS surface machine substrate, which has corresponding etch pits defined therein over which the wafer bonded substrate is disposed. The proof mass of thin film membranes is included in the case of other types of detectors such as acoustical detectors or infrared detectors. A differential sensor electrode is suspended over the etch pits so that the parasitic capacitance of the substrate is removed from the capacitance sensor or, in the case of an infrared sensor, to provide a low thermal conductance cavity under the pyroelectric refractory thin film. Where a membrane-suspended electrode is utilized over an etch pit, one or more apertures are defined therethrough to avoid squeeze film damping. Accelerometers built according to the methodology are provided with a nulling feedback voltage to maintain the switch DC voltage across sending capacitors in a null condition and to maintain high sensitivity without requiring either a precision transformer or regulated power sources in the capacitance bridge of the accelerometer.
U.S. Patent No. 5,659,195
Issued: August 19, 1997

Na-K-ATPase Inhibiting Natriuretic Substances
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Harvey C. Gonick
This invention provides methods for obtaining substantially purified high and low molecular weight Na-K-ATPase inhibitor compounds having natriuretic and vasoconstrictive activity; antibodies reactive with the compounds; and methods for their use in diagnostic and therapeutic applications to detect elevated or decreased amounts of the compounds in subjects having diseases associated with the presence or deficiency of these compounds.
U.S. Patent No. 5,667,811
Issued: September 16, 1997

Transferrin Neuropharmaceutical Agent Fusion Protein
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Sherie L. Morrison
A key problem in the delivery of neuropharmaceuticals is the relatively impermeable nature of brain capillaries (the blood/brain barrier), which prevents many serum-soluble compounds from passively diffusing into the brain. This invention comprises a neuropharmaceutical delivery system based on a fusion of a neuropharmaceutical with a transferrin, a type of ligand that reacts with certain cell receptors to enable transport of the fusion protein via vesicles across brain capillary endothelial cells. Unlike other neuropharmaceutical delivery systems in current use, this system is non-invasive and does not carry the risk of premature release of the neuropharmaceutical agent on the blood side of the barrier.
U.S. Patent No. 5,672,683
Issued: September 30, 1997

Peptides Derived From Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Allan J. Tobin, Mark G. Erlander, Daniel L. Kaufman, Michael J. Clare-Salzler
Isolated polypeptides useful in ameliorating GAD-associated autoimmune disease, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic methods of using the peptides, are disclosed.
U.S. Patent No. 5,674,978
Issued: October 7, 1997

Method for Increasing the Resistance of Neural Cells to Beta-Amyloid Peptide Toxicity
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Dale E. Bredesen
The toxic susceptibility of neural cells to the Alzheimer’s-disease-associated b-amyloid peptide is directly related to the expression of P75 nerve growth factor receptor (p75NTR). Treatment of neural cells with p75NTR binding agents increases resistance to b-amyloid plaque toxicity. Such methods to increase resistance are discussed by this invention.
U.S. Patent No. 5,677,135
Issued: October 14, 1997

DNA Encoding a Tissue Differentiation Affecting Factor
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Edward M. De Robertis, Yoshiki Sasai
A functional polypeptide-designated “chordin” is described that is capable of inducing dorsal (and neural tissue) development in vertebrates, and that appears to be a secreted protein. There are substantial regions of conservation with Xenopus chordin with mouse chordin, and the human gene should also be similar in those regions.
U.S. Patent No. 5,679,783
Issued: October 21, 1997

Method of Preserving Pancreatic Islets
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Yoko S. Mullen, Takashi Kenmochi
A method, a solution and a chamber for the preparation and storage of pancreatic islets are provided. The method includes contacting a pancreas with a warm collagenase solution, digesting the pancreas in the warm collagenase solution to form warm digest, adding cold preservative solution to the warm digest, and agitating with warm digest/cold preservative solution at a temperature between about 0° and 15°C to further digest the partially digested pancreas included in the warm digest, to form cold digest and collecting liquid from the cold digest to form isolated islets. The cold preservative solution and a pancreatic islet preservative solution of this invention include D-mannitol, K-lactobionate and a buffer.
U.S. Patent No. 5,679,565
Issued: October 21, 1997

Method for Promoting Apoptosis in Mammalian Neural Cells
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Dale E. Bredesen
This method determines whether a compound inhibits apoptosis induction in neural cells expressing an FALS-associated sod-1 mutant. A neural cell culture is provided having a plurality of neural cells expressing an FALS-associated sod-1 mutant, wherein through the expression of the sod-1-mutant, the neural cells have a low resistance to apoptosis induction. The neural cell culture is treated with a substance to form a modified cell culture and apoptosis is induced in the modified cell culture. The modified cell culture is then assayed to determine whether it has a higher resistance to apoptosis induction than the untreated neural cell culture. The method is useful in screening substances for use as potential drugs for treating ALS.
U.S. Patent No. 5,681,711
Issued: October 28, 1997

SRAM Cell Utilizing Bistable Diode Having GeSi Structure
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Kang L. Wang, Xinyu Zheng, Timothy K. Carns
A static random access memory (SRAM) cell includes a bistable diode and a load device serially connectable between two voltage potentials (VDD, Ground) with a gate device (field effect transistor) connected between a bit line and a common terminal of the bistable diode and load device, and a control terminal of the gate device connected to a word line. The bistable diode includes a GeSi structure between a p-doped semiconductor region and a spaced n-doped semiconductor region. The GeSi structure can be a GeSi/Si superlacttice and a d-doped tunnel junction, a GexSi1-x multiple well structure, or a d-doped tunnel junction.
U.S. Patent No. 5,684,737
Issued: November 4, 1997

Vesicle Membrane Transport Proteins
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Robert H. Edwards
Complete cDNA and amino acid sequences are disclosed for rat adrenal-specific and brain-specific transport protein, as well as for human brain-specific transport protein. Methods for obtaining the genes encoding these proteins and for obtaining recombinantly produced protein are described, as are antibodies and methods for isolating additional vesicle membrane transport proteins. Methods for using the vesicle membrane transport proteins to identify compounds that selectively inhibit transport of toxic molecules into vesicles, and that prevent inhibition of transport of toxic molecules, are also provided. The invention includes methods to treat and diagnose diseases associated with sequestration of toxic molecules in mammalian cells.
U.S. Patent No. 5,688,936
Issued: November 18, 1997

Immunoglobulin Superantigen Binding to gp 120 from HIV
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Jonathan Braun, Lee A. Goodglick
VH3- and VH4-type immunoglobulins display superantigen-type binding affinity for the HIV gp120 envelope glycoproteins. VH3- and VH4-type antibody molecules, including IgG and IgM, are shown to suppress HIV infection in vivo and in vitro. The level of such antibody molecules is correlated to the progression of HIV disease state.
U.S. Patent No. 5,691,135
Issued: November 25, 1997

Methods of Screening for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease by Detecting VH3-15 Autoantibody and pANCA
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Jonathan Braun, Stephan R. Targan
This invention provides novel methods of screening for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which include the detection of two disparate autoantibodies: pANCA and VH3-15 autoantibody. It also provides kits for screening ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
U.S. Patent No. 5,691,151
Issued: November 25, 1997

DNA Sequences Encoding Protegrins and Protegrin Analogs and Their Use in Recombinant Methods of Producing Protegrins
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Robert I. Lehrer, Vladimir N. Kokryakov, Sylvia S. L. Harwig
U.S. Patent No. 5,693,486
Issued: December 2, 1997

Methodology and Apparatus for Diffuse Photon Imaging
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Shechao C. Feng, Fanan Zeng, Hui-Lin Zhao
Non-invasive near infrared optical medical imaging devices for both hematoma detection in the brain and early tumor detection in the breast are achieved using image reconstruction that allows a mapping of the position dependent contrast diffusive propagation constants, which are related to the optical absorption coefficient and scattering coefficient in the tissue, at near infrared wavelengths. Spatial resolutions in the range of 5 mm for adult brain sizes and breast sizes can be achieved. The image reconstruction utilizes WKB approximation on most diffusion paths, which has as lowest order approximation the straight line-of-sight between the plurality of detectors. The WKB approximation yields a set of linear equations in which the contrast optical absorption coefficients are the unknowns and for which signals can be generated to produce a pixel map of the contrast optical resolution of the scanned tissue.
U.S. Patent No. 5,694,938
Issued: December 9, 1997

Method For Treating Gram Negative Bacterial Infections in Humans
Participating UCLA Inventor:
Lowell S. Young
Novel hybridoma cell lines produce monoclonal antibodies that bind epitopes found on lipopolysaccharide most commonly associated with the endotoxin core of gram negative bacteria. These antibodies also exhibit broad cross-reactivity with gram negative bacteria of different genera, and effectively neutralize endotoxin. The monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma cell lines of this invention are useful in the detection of bacterial infections, therapy and prophylaxis of bacterial endotoxemia and infection caused by gram negative bacteria.
U.S. Patent No. 5,698,198
Issued: December 16, 1997

Diamond Thin Film Electron Emitter
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Rointan F. Bunshah, Hans J. Doerr, Shyankay R. Jou
Doped and undoped polycrystalline and noncrystalline diamond films produced by plasma-enhanced chemical transport emit electrons into a vacuum in response to an applied electrical field. The field required to create emission is less than 20 V/mm for doped polycrystalline films, can be in the range of 5 to 8 volts/mm for undoped nanocrystalline films, and may be 3 volts/mm or less for doped nanocrystalline films. These materials exhibit emission properties, which are continuous across the whole surface of the film.
U.S. Patent No. 5,698,328
Issued: December 16, 1997

Treatment of Platelet Derived Growth Factor Related Disorders Such as Cancers
Participating UCLA Inventors:
Dennis J. Slamon, Fairooz F. Kabbinavar
This invention concerns compounds that can inhibit platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R) activity, preferably such compounds that also inhibit the activity of other members of the PDGF-R super family and are selective for members of the PDGF-R super family. Such compounds are preferably used to treat patients suffering from cell-proliferative disorders characterized by inappropriate PDGF-R activity.
U.S. Patent No. 5,700,822
Issued: December 23, 1997