Eye Tracking Application in Computer Aided Diagnosis and Image Processing in Radiology

Medical imaging is an important resource for early diagnostic, detection, and effective treatment of cancers. However, the screening and review processes for radiologists have been shown to overlook a certain percentage of potentially cancerous image features. Such review errors may result in misdiagnosis and failure to identify tumors. These errors result from human fallibility, fatigue, and from the complexity of visual search required.

High-Throughput Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Carrying Antigen-Specific T Cell Receptors from Tumor Infiltrated Lymphocytes

One form of adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) consists of harvesting tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), screening and isolating TIL which display tumor antigen-specific T-cell receptors (TCR), expanding the isolated T cells in vitro, and reinfusing them into the patient for treatment. While highly active in the treatment of certain cancers (e.g., melanoma), current methods used to produce cancer-reactive T cells require significant time and may not adequately identify the desired TCRs which bind cancer targets.

Single domain CD4, HIV-1 Antibodies, and Fusion Proteins for treatment of HIV

Soluble forms of human CD4 (sCD4) inhibit HIV-1 entry into immune cells.  Different forms of sCD4 and their fusion proteins have been extensively studied in animal models and clinical trials as promising HIV-1 inhibitors. However, they have not been successful in clinical trials due to their transient efficacy.  sCD4 is also known to interact with class II major histocompatibility complex (MHCII) and, at low concentrations, could enhance HIV-1 infectivity. 

Anti-Viral Compounds that Inhibit HIV Activity

Several novel tropolone derivatives have been identified that inhibit HIV-1 RNase H function and have potential for anti-viral activity due to reduced cellular toxicity.  Inhibiting RNase H function is a potential treatment for many viral infections, since RNase H function is essential for viral replication for many pathogenic retroviruses such as HIV-1 and HIV-2.  Although many hydroxytropolone compounds are potent RNase H inhibitors biding at the enzymatic active site, they are limited as therapeutic candidates by their toxicity in mammalian cells.  The toxicity thought to

Biomarker signature development: microRNAs for biodosimetry

Alterations in microRNAs (miRNAs), a type of small non-coding RNAs, have been reported in cells/tumors subjected to radiation exposure, implying that miRNAs play an important role in cellular stress response to radiation. NCI researchers evaluated small non-coding RNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), and mRNA, as potential non-invasive biomarkers for radiation biodosimetry. While the use of miRNAs as radiation biomarkers has been reported, the integrated use of miRNAs, mRNAs and lncRNAs to accurately determine radiation doses is novel and has not been published.

Knockout and Conditional Knockout Mice-GPR116

Pulmonary surfactant plays a critical role in preventing alveolar collapse by decreasing surface tension at the alveolar air-liquid interface. Surfactant deficiency contributes to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), common disorders that can afflict patients of all ages and carry a mortality rate greater than 25%. Excess surfactant leads to pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) that Targets Chemokine Receptor CCR4 and its Use in Treating Cancer

The chemokine receptor, CCR4 is a seven transmembrane G protein-coupled cell surface receptor molecule with selective expression on cells of the hematopoietic system. In adult T cell leukemia (ATL), the cell-surface expression of CCR4 on leukemic cells has been found to be nearly universal. Therefore, a CCR4-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -cell may provide an effective therapeutic against ATL.

IL7Rα-Specific Antibody for Treating Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children with approximately 3,250 new cases occurring per year in the United States. About 20% of cases are refractory to current treatment protocols and there is a desperate need for targeted therapies that do not result in adverse side effects such as cognitive impairment. 

Methods of preventing tissue ischemia

The National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Pathology is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize therapeutics targeting vasodialation.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role as a major intrinsic vasodilator, and increases blood flow to tissues and organs. Disruption of this process leads to peripheral vascular disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, vascular insufficiency associated with diabetes, and many more diseases that are significant.

A Dendritic Cell Vaccine to Immunize Cancer Patients Against Mutated Neoantigens Expressed by the Autologous Cancer

Vaccines against non-viral cancers target mainly differentiation antigens, cancer testis antigens, and overexpressed antigens.  One common feature to these antigens is their presence in central immunological tolerance. Using these vaccines, T cells underwent depletion of high avidity clones directed against such antigens. This depletion can cause the loss of T cells bearing high affinity T cell receptors (TCRs) for their cognate antigens which have superior cytotoxic capacity, longer persistence in the tumor microenvironment, and decreased susceptibility to immune suppression.