Kimberly-Clark Worldwide has been awarded US Patent 7,247,500, “Reduction of the hook effect in membrane-based assay devices.”
The inventors listed on the patent are Ning Wei and Yanbin Huang.
According to the abstract, the patent provides a membrane-based assay device for detecting the presence or quantity of an analyte residing in a test sample. The device utilizes a chromatographic zone on which microporous particles are deposited. The chromatographic zone can effectively reduce the "hook effect" in a simple, efficient, and relatively inexpensive manner, the abstract said. In particular, the plurality of microporous particles allows larger-sized analyte/probe complexes to reach the detection zone before the uncomplexed analyte. The uncomplexed analyte is substantially inhibited from competing with the complexes for the binding sites at the detection zone, so the incidence of false negatives may be limited, even at relatively high analyte concentrations.
Adelaide Research & Innovation of South Australia has been awarded US Patent 7,244,707, “Regulation of cytotrophoblast cell differentiation and cell migration.”
The inventors listed on the patent are Claire Roberts and Phillip Owens.
The patent is predicated on the discovery of certain interactions between cellular growth factors and opposing actions that control differentiation and migration or invasion of cytotrophoblasts into the uterine endometrium during pregnancy, its abstract said. The abstract also said that insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and latent transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), the inactive precursor of TGF-beta, compete for binding to the CIM6P receptor. IGF-II prevents latent TGF-beta binding to the CIM6P receptor. The abstract explained that the invention offers a method of regulating and directing cytotrophoblast differentiation and function based on the interaction between IGF-II, latent TGF-beta, and the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate (CIM6P) receptor.
The patent also discloses a method of regulating cytotrophoblast and stem cell differentiation and migration characterized by adjusting levels of IGF-II available for binding to the CIM6P receptor. The discovery may be applied to embryonic or adult stem cells to control their differentiation and migratory behavior.
Cellomics has been awarded US Patent 7,244,614, “Fusion proteins and assays for molecular binding."
The inventors listed on the patent are Gary Bright, Daniel Premkumar, and Yih-Tai Chen.
The abstract said that the patent provides novel recombinant fusion proteins for detecting binding of a molecule of interest containing a detection domain, a first and optionally a second localization domain, and a binding domain. The invention also provides recombinant nucleic acid molecules and recombinant expression vectors encoding these novel fusion proteins, genetically engineered host cells containing these expression vectors, and kits for the use of these fusion proteins, nucleic acid molecules, expression vectors, and host cells, according to the abstract. In addition, the present invention provides methods for identifying compounds that alter the binding of a molecule of interest in a cell.