Licensing opportunities
Cambridge Enterprise works in collaboration with University of Cambridge researchers to market and license technologies ranging from the biosciences to engineering.
Licensing Cambridge innovation
Cambridge Enterprise has completed close to 900 technology transfer transactions. We welcome contact from companies interested in licensing technologies from the University of Cambridge, and work with companies on an individual basis to identify specific areas of interest.
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Viral CD30 for treating inflammatory disease
A viral CD30 polypeptide that may be used to treat inflammatory diseases for example autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus or multiple sclerosis. Viral CD30 works in the same way as human CD30 antibodies to neutralise interactions between CD30 ligand and its receptor but may have additional effects to CD30 antibodies by inducing signalling in cells expressing CD30 ligand.
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Database of contemporary spoken English
Recordings of speakers with ‘Standard Southern British English’ pronunciation have been collected and transcribed orthographically by researchers in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics at the University of Cambridge.
The database was recorded with forensic phonetic research in mind, but serves very generally as an extensive source of contemporary spoken English. It comprises studio quality recordings of 100 male speakers aged 18-25 performing four tasks involving different speaking styles: taking part in a simulated police interview, making a telephone call with an “accomplice” (recorded simultaneously and over the public telephone network), reading a passage, and reading a set of sentences.
Compared to alternative databases of comparable size, this database provides, for a tightly homogeneous population of speakers, a spectrum of speaking styles with a substantial number of words and phrases (elicited by design) in common. It is expected to be of interest to companies involved in a variety of speech technologies, and is available to license from the Economic and Social Data Service.
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Supramolecular Microcapsules
The next generation of "smart" materials will require molecular self-assembly to achieve the high degrees of functionality and complexity that are required for a wide range of applications such as heat absorbers, self-healing paints, optical sensors and drug delivery mechanisms.
Professor Chris Abell and Dr. Oren Scherman have developed a new technique for manufacturing such functional materials in large volumes, using supramolecular, stimuli-responsive polymers. Aqueous microfluidic droplets dispersed in oil are used as templates for building discrete supramolecular assemblies. These assemblies form highly uniform microcapsule structures, the shells of which can be tailored to enable and monitor, passive or active release of encapsulated contents to meet a range of market needs.
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Adsorption of silicon onto bone substitute materials
Methods of adsorbing silicon onto calcium phosphate materials. Useful as a material for medical implants such as orthopaedic and dental implants to enhance initial implant fixation by stimulating initial bone growth thereby improving longevity of these implants.
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High dielectric constant cubic amorphous hafnium oxide
A novel form of thin film amorphous hafnium oxide (HfOx), providing exceptionally high dielectric constant and electrical resistivity, as well as low optical scatter and high refractive index, has recently been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge. Produced by a room-temperature, high deposition-rate process, the desirable electrical and optical properties of this new amorphous material, opens up exciting possibilities for next generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. Particularly suitability for transparent, flexible and plastic electronics, the deposition process is also compatible with CMOS and large-area electronics and paves the way for further component miniaturisation and advances in nano-electronics.
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Reproducible, reusable, self-calibrating SERS substrate for single-molecule recognition
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is an ultra-sensitive, non-destructive spectroscopic technique that enables characterisation and identification of molecules for a wide variety of potential applications including environmental sensing, forensic analysis and medical diagnosis. It potentially replaces fluorescence techniques due to its photon yield, lack of bleaching and label-free molecular signatures.
Wide adoption of SERS-based techniques remains, however, limited by lack of reproducibility and reusability of the SERS substrates. Recently, scientists at Cambridge University developed a novel approach, based on cucurbiturils, that has the potential to dramatically improve the usability of SERS-based techniques.
By accurately controlling the gaps between aggregates of metal nanoparticles using cucurbilturils as rigid sub-nanometre ‘cages’, analyte molecules can be held in the intense electric field regions between the nanoparticles providing the possibility of reliable, highly sensitive, molecular recognition based on SERS. Not only does this technique open up the possibility of using SERS to identify single molecules that have no affinity for metal surfaces, it is also potentially self-calibrating due to the Raman-activity of the cucurbituril spacer molecules themselves and reusable due to the triggered release of analyte molecules from the cucurbilturil ‘cages’ by chemical, photo-initiation or thermal means.
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Eliminating HCMV infected cells from bone marrow transplants
A method of identifying and eliminating human cytomegalovirus infected cells from bone marrow transplants. This technology has the potential to increase survival rates of transplant recipients and to reduce disease complications in transplant recipients.
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Cryoprotection of Mammalian cells
Novel technology that uses a polymer to get molecules into cells. This can be applied to small molecules, RNAi and proteins. The initial application is the preservation and storage of viable mammalian cells, especially in the cryopreservation of red blood cells and in cell banking with particular emphasis on stem cell.
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Method and apparatus for assessing cardiovascular fitness
A novel method and apparatus for monitoring the performance of a person undertaking exercise to assess their cardiovascular fitness, in particular, by calculating VO2 max, the maximal oxygen uptake per unit time.
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Artificial pancreas technology
System for monitoring and controlling levels of glucose in type 1 diabetes patients using an interacting multiple model strategy.
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KidzEyez: a visual perimeter system for young children
Early diagnosis of brain tumours in children relies on accurate assessment of their visual field. However, current visual perimeters (visual field analysers) are impossible to use in young children. KidzEyez is a child-friendly perimeter system that can aid in the early diagnosis of tumours. KidzEyez also allows the clinician to accurately monitor and record tumour progression, helping them preserve sight and life.
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Therapy for Preterm Infants
Administration of a recombinant protein known to be involved in preventing oxidative stress to preterm infants shortly after birth is therapeutically beneficial to protect against complications of prematurity and to reduce the costs of neonatal intensive case.
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Generation of origin-specific vascular smooth muscle cells
Origin-specific vascular smooth muscle cells have been generated from embryonic stem cells including iPS cells using chemically defined culture conditions. The derived cells have been extensively characterized including functional characterization. Broad applications in vascular regenerative medicine.
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Novel Series of 5-HT1B Antagonists for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
A novel drug-like series of 5-HT1B antagonists with excellent potential for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with a low side effect profile and in-vivo data showing reversal of PAH.
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Simulator software
Executable and source code to represent glucose regulation of type 1 diabetes.
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Method to prepare nanoporous materials
Nanoporous materials have many applications including the formation of high surface area electrodes that increase the efficiency of fuel cells, photovoltaics, OLED devices and membrane separation technologies, such as desalination. The main advantage of these materials is that they can be bicontinuous, which means that the porous portions of the material are completely accessible. Currently it is difficult to create such a structure in a controlled manner, as this requires controlled chemistry and long processing times. This novel invention is a robust method of creating nanoporous materials from copolymeric systems. Through the application of the UV radiation. cross-linking and photodegradation convert an initially spherical, micellar system into a bicontinuous matrix of polymer and voids. The resulting template can be used as-is or can, with further, simple chemical transformations, be converted into inorganic nanoporous materials that have other exotic functionalities such as water splitting, tunable magnetoelectric properties, and high surface area electrodes.
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Selective Scent for Electronic Devices
A novel technique of creating electronically controlled scent delivery has been developed. The technique, which is based on small, low-cost, disposable scent cartridges, could be incorporated into a wide range of products, such as mobile telephones, games consoles, a scent clock and fashion accessories. The technology enables the selective delivery of a combination of multiple scents and, importantly, the capability of switching off the scent delivery. A solid scent storage medium is used which is inherently compatible with use in electronic equipment.
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High Density Carbon Nanotube Arrays
A method for forming small catalytic nanoparticles at high densities over a substrate to serve as nuclei for the growth of carbon nanotubes (or CNTs). The inventors have experimentally grown CNTs with densities of 5•1012 cm-12 (five times greater than the closest rival technology), and expect that arrays of CNTs with densities of 1013 cm-2 or higher can be grown using this method.
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Multi-level Phase Device
This technology comprises a device geometry, based on the flexoelectric-optic effect in a chiral nematic liquid crystal, which is capable of linear multi-level phase modulation and frame rates in excess of several kHz. The multi-level phase modulation from these devices has potential for application in holographic projectors, optical correlators and adaptive optics. This technology offers the advantage over existing devices of having the combination of multi-phase modulation and frame rates in excess of several kHz. By employing flexoelectric devices one can now modulate the phase of light at frame rates well above those detected by the eye, thereby enabling improvement of image quality in holographic projectors as well as the implementation of real-time adaptive ophthalmic imaging for high resolution diagnosis of retinal disease.
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Water-Cooled Transuranic Waste Incinerating Nuclear Reactor
Researchers in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge have discovered a novel method of fuelling nuclear reactors which enables the virtual elimination of long lived highly radioactive waste. The fuel is a mixture of Thorium and existing waste, which is fed into either an existing Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) or a new reactor built to the proven PWR or Reduced Moderation Water Reactor design. The reactor availability and the fuel reprocessing requirements are expected to be similar to that of existing operating reactors, with the significant benefit of removing highly radioactive material from the environment. This method also provides a way to exploit the planet's considerable Thorium resources using existing well-proven reactor technology.
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Small Molecule Remediation
Technology for remediating small molecules. The technology is based on capturing the small molecules within the cavity of a class of molecules known as cucurbiturils, specifically cucurbit[8]uril or (CB[8]). Molecules which may be remediated by cucurbit[8]uril include:
household or pet odours
carbon dioxide and other environmental gases
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Recycling of Lead Battery Paste
A new process has been developed that has the potential to transform the lead battery recycling industry. The method uses organic reagents (derived from renewable bio-sources) to recycle the lead-bearing paste from waste batteries into a form which can be used directly as the lead oxide precursor for manufacturing new lead battery paste. This method has considerable benefits over the high temperature methods that are conventionally used to recycle lead battery paste into metallic lead.
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Improving the efficiency of reprogramming cells to pluripotency
Method of improving the efficiency of reprogramming cells to pluripotency. This method may be used to induce pluripotency in vitro and may impact on the development of next generation reprogramming technologies employing synthetic RNAs or recombinant proteins.
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Transgenic mice with fluorescently labelled intestinal K-cells
Enables exploration of mechanisms involved in glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide secretion with the potential to identify targets in these cells that could be exploited therapeutically for treatment of obesity.
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Haploid mouse embryonic stem cells
Novel method to derive haploid mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) for forward genetic screening. Several different lines are currently maintained, including from different mouse strains and transgenic lines. Main use to facilitate forward genetic screening; homozygous mutation libraries could be easily generated.
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Gel beads in microfluidic droplets
An innovative system for selectively entrapping proteins and nucleic acids within microfluidic gel beads, enabling high-throughput screening in directed evolution experiments and the isolation of positive clones via FACS.
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SAFERamp – a new ampoule-opening and syringe-labelling device
Over 10,000 injectable drug administration errors – including those caused by mislabelling of syringes – occur in the UK every year, causing patient harm and in some cases even death. SAFERamp is a novel device that quickly and safely opens a filled ampoule and automatically labels the syringe drawing up the drug. SAFERamp is an opportunity for ampoule manufacturers to add value to the traditionally high-volume but low-margin sealed ampoule market.
SAFERamp benefits multiple users:
PATIENTS - Fewer drug administration errors
CLINICIANS - Fast, convenient drug preparation; No more glass cuts from broken ampoules and fewer needle injuries
PHARMA - Brand differentiation; Drug life management
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS: Lower overall costs due to fewer consumables used (e.g needles), reduced sharps disposal costs and reduced costs associated with drug administration errors -
ICM+ Software for Brain Monitoring in Neurological Intensive Care
The ICM+ computer software programme provides a real time analysis of measurements obtained from subjects in clinical trials in an intensive care or neurosurgical environment.
A non-exclusive licence with standard terms and conditions is available for the ICM+ software.
To obtain a licence tailored to your needs:
1) Complete the Licence Request Form and send to ls.admin@enterprise.cam.ac.uk
2) We will then send you the quote for the licence (including the quote for consultancy work if requested)
3) If you wish to proceed, we’ll draft the licence (and consultancy agreement if requested) based on our standard template and send to you.
4) To proceed, print 2 copies of the licence agreement (and consultancy agreement if requested) and have both signed by an authorised official of your organisation (and by the Head of the Research Group in the case of the licence) and mail both original signed agreements to:
LS Patent & Licence Administrator
Cambridge Enterprise Ltd
University of Cambridge
Hauser Forum
3 Charles Babbage Rd
Cambridge
CB3 0GTBoth agreements will be signed and one original will be returned to you at the address on the agreement. You will then be invoiced and the ICM+ software will be made available to you to download (or ready for installation via consultancy if requested).
5) Should you wish to continue to download new releases of updates to the software via the ICM+ website: http://www.neurosurg.cam.ac.uk/pages/ICM/ (with up to 1 day off site support services included over 2 years), then download the maintenance agreement and enter your company name, full registered address and VAT number on page 1 of the agreement and follow the instructions as per 4) above, providing your contact details (name, job title, email, telephone and fax number) for subsequent invoicing.
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JBIG-KIT Software Library
JBIG-KIT provides a portable library of compression and decompression functions, with a documented interface, that can be very easily included into image or document processing software. In addition, JBIG-KIT provides ready-to-use compression and decompression programs with a simple command line interface.
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Liquid Crystal Polarisation Controller
A unique polarisation control system utilising the flexoelectric effect exhibited by chiral nematic liquid crystals responding rapidly (100µs to 1ms) under the influence of an externally applied electric field. The system provides switching angles of over 90 degrees, stable materials over wide operating temperature ranges, and precise control of polarisation state. These characteristics make the system ideal for use in polarisation controllers to reduce the effects of polarisation mode dispersion (PMD), endless polarisation controllers, optical routers, and liquid-crystal displays.
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Apparatus for Ultra-low Volume Fluid Sensing
A novel apparatus that will enable label-free sensing to be applied to fluids with volumes as low as 0.25 μl. The apparatus is designed to be used with MEMS sensors such as microcantilevers, but could easily be adapted to other forms of sensor such as surface plasmon resonance or quartz crystal sensing. The new apparatus should facilitate detection in a wide-range of areas including proteomics, genomics, healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring and manufacturing quality at sample volumes much smaller than are currently available with competing technologies. The microcantilever sensor chips can be readily multiplexed.
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'Inerter' - Suspension Damping Technology
The 'Inerter' is a novel passive device which allows designers of ride-control and suspension/damping systems the ability to realise performance levels that were previously only possible with actively controlled architectures. The device may be used on its own or in conjunction with traditional ride-control building blocks, to allow the designer cheap and simple, passive access to the full range of suspension characteristics. The device promises improvements over traditional technologies in areas such as passenger comfort, heavy vehicles dynamics and the handling of high-performance vehicles.
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Microcapillary Films
A manufacturing process for embedding multiple parallel micro-capillaries into flat, flexible polymer tapes and films has been developed. Application areas include chemical and biochemical analysis, medical applications, heat exchangers and pressure sensing applications.
The shape and size of these micro-capillaries can be easily controlled, ranging in diameter from 5 to 500 microns, and having circular, elliptical or diamond cross-sections, allowing transport of liquids or gases at pressures as high as 50 bar. The capillary walls can also be designed to be semi-permeable or catalytic.
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Critical Current Density Enhancement in YBCO
Enhancement of critical current densities by an order of magnitude in YBCO in self fields or applied fields with no lowering of the critical temperature. The enhancement, by incorporating rare earth tantalates into the YBCO, is effective even in thick films and over wide angular ranges of applied field.
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Gaussian Approximational Potential
Gaussian Approximation Potential (GAP) is a novel atomistic modelling technique that combines accuracy with speed. By inferring the energy of an atom from the position and identity of its neighbours using a precomputed database of exact quantum mechanical solutions, the potential energy surface of a system of atoms and molecules is approximated. This methodology allows a controllable compromise to be made between the accuracy of Quantum Chemistry models and the speed of Interatomic Potential methods, with applications in a diverse range of fields including pharmaceuticals, aerospace, electronics and biotechnology.
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Endometriosis Mouse Model
Unlike currently existing endometriosis mouse models, this novel allograft model is an immuno-competant mouse that produces viable endometriosis-like lesions. This model will be useful in screening and identifying compounds for use in the treatment of endometriosis. Other applications include investigating the pathogenesis of endometriosis, identifying target genes or others factors associated with endometriosis.
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Reprogramming Cells to Pluripotency
Efficient and highly reproducible method of reprogramming mammalian cells to generate authentic pluripotent cells which are phenotypically indistinguishable from ES cells and free from genetic modification. Using this technology avoids ethical concerns of using embryos to derive ES cells.
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Recombinant Human Activin A
High purity Activin A available in large quantities from E Coli, useful as an additive in stem cell culture and as a mesoderm inducer in developmental biology.
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Methods to Induce Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells
The manipulation of pluripotent stem cells to generate specific cell types is key to the application of these cells to the treatment of disease. Our researchers have developed methods for the expansion of populations of human pluripotent cells and subsequent differentiation into mesoderm and endoderm progenitors using chemically defined media that does not require the use of stroma cells or animal serum, thus avoiding a key barrier to the use of these cells in the clinic.
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W-12 Cell Line
Human keratinocyte cell line useful in research related to human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and cervical carcinoma.
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Transgenic mice with fluorescently labelled proglucagon-expressing cells
Enables exploration of mechanisms underlying GLP-1, PYY and glucagon release, with the potential to identify targets in proglucagon-expressing cells that could be exploited therapeutically for the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
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Recombinant Human RAD51
Large quantities of recombinant full-length human RAD51 useful for biochemical and biological assays including for DNA strand exchange, protein-protein/protein-DNA interaction studies in vitro and in vivo and Western blots.
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Novel Apoptosis Imaging Agents
A novel agent for use in molecular imaging of apoptotic cells that can be cross-linked to a variety of contrast agents and is highly suitable for use with imaging technologies such as MRI, PET and SPECT. This imaging agent may be useful as a prognostic indicator of treatment outcome for cancer or cardiac plaque formation.
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Novel Biomarker for Assessing DNA Damage
Our researchers have identified the earliest known marker for DNA damage. Phosphorylation of residue Thr51 of protein HP1β occurs within minutes of the onset of DNA damage. A robust, specific polyclonal antibody to the phosphorylated form of this protein has been developed which is an effective biomarker for DNA damage. This has excellent potential for use as a biomarker in clinical applications such as the diagnosis, prognosis and predictive response of individuals to cancer therapy.
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Novel Controller for Navigation of 3D Medical Imaging Data
Novel controller for navigation of 3D medical imaging data that enables interactive 2D reformatting of, and navigation through, volumetric imaging data, such as data from CT or MRI, whilst avoiding visual distraction.
For more information see the video:
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Improved Ultrasound Imaging Technique
Improved ultrasound imaging technique known as strain imaging that distinguishes between harder and softer regions in human tissue and provides more accurate and better quality images. Can be used for detecting tumours in the breast, prostate and neck and distinguishing between malignant and benign lumps as well as for other diagnostic applications including detecting and grading Deep Vein Thrombosis.
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Novel Class of Antibiotics
A novel class of antibiotics have been identified with a new mode of action. There are a suite of compounds that have been successfully tested against VRE and MRSA.
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Bile-Stable Oral Delivery System
Novel formulation technology that overcomes the bile intolerance of dried bacterial preparations. This technology has potential applications in the field of vaccination to allow bile tolerant delivery of vaccines in a dried tablet or capsule form and for delivery of viable bacteria in probiotic products.
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Drug Delivery Methodology
A simple method to produce a drug complex to potentially improve the ADMET properties of the drug, extend its circulatory life and allow it to be released from the complex by appropriate stimuli when required. It is envisaged that this technology could be applied to a wide range of low solubility drugs to treat many conditions and potentially to others which are currently untreatable.
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Viral RNA to prevent neurodegeneration
A novel RNA encoded by human cytomegalovirus has been shown to efficiently stop cells from dying by interacting with a component of the mitochondrion to protect the cell from stress-induced death. This viral RNA has the potential to prevent neurodegeneration and could treat a number of diseases for examples Parkinson's disease.
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Electrode Microchannels as Axonal Amplifiers
An ideal limb prosthesis is one that the patients can naturally wear and control. This can be achieved through the use of an implanted neural interface that records neuronal signals that can be used to control the prosthesis. The neural interface developed here allows damaged nerve fibres to regenerate through an array of electrode-coupled microchannels in a way that increases signal levels and decreases the incidence of crosstalk.
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Cell Culture Model for Huntington's Disease
Two stable inducible rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cell lines expressing GFP-tagged exon 1 of the Huntington gene with either 23 or 74 glutamine repeats (PC12 HD-Q23 or PC HD-Q74), driven by a doxycycline-dependent Tet-On promoter. These cell lines can be used for in vitro studies to evaluate compounds to treat Huntington's disease.
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Amyloid Growth Detection for Drug Design and Diagnosis
Quantitative in vitro measurement of amyloid growth kinetics can provide insight into plaque response when screening for compounds for the treatment of diseases such Alzheimer's, Type II Diabetes and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Detection of disease state protein conformations indicates diagnostic applications.
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Novel Murine Model of Advanced Vulnerable Atherosclerosis
Transgenic mice are engineered so that on induction they rapidly and predictably develop a disease state that shares major features of advanced vulnerable atherosclerosis in humans. This valuable model is highly suited to studies of cardiovascular drugs which stabilise atherosclerotic plaques and the long term study of arterial diseases such as aneurysm formation, angioplasty restenosis and atherosclerosis.
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Predicting Auto-immune Disease Progression
A method for predicting prognosis in autoimmune diseases including lupus and ANCA-associated vasculitis. The technique enables patients to be divided into groups at high and low risk of disease progression to identify patients requiring intensive immunosuppressive therapy or to reduce the total immunosuppressive load in patients at low risk of disease relapse.
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Improved Antibody Constant Regions
Novel, improved, human, antibody constant regions which lack destructive effector functions. These constant regions can be combined with the variable region genes or receptor domains of your choice to produce antibodies or fusion proteins of any desired specificity. Specific applications in the areas of autoimmunity, inflammation, allergy, asthma and cardiovascular disease are envisaged.