November 14, 2016
The University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute reported that Pitt Innovators were issued two patents in October 2016.
US 9,469,677 “Biomimetic Coating of Magnesium Alloy for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Calcium Phosphate Deposition”
Dr. Elia Beniash, Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, with a joint appointment in the Department of Bioengineering, and Dr. Charles Sfeir, the Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor in the Departments of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Oral Biology, Bioengineering and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, have developed biomimetic peptide-containing coating compositions and coated metal alloy substrates for use in tissue and bone repair and regeneration. This techology has potential applications for medical implant devices in orthopedic, craniofacial, dental and cardiovascular surgeries. For information on licensing this technology, contact licensing manager Janice Panza.
US 9,469,684 “Therapeutic and Diagnostic Cloned MUC-Unrestricted Receptor Associated Antigen”
Distinguished Professor of Immunology Olivera Finn and colleagues Nehad Alajez, Mark Alter and Jan Schmielau, have developed an approach to isolate human antibodies that are known to be safe and specific for the tumor antigen MUC1. In several cancer types MUC1 is over-expressed and has been considered as a therapeutic target for treatment of cancer. The innovators cloned anti-MUC1 antibodies from healthy people at risk for developing colon cancer and were immunized against MUC1 with a peptide vaccine. This technology is being explored for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes for cancers expressing abnormal form of MUC 1, including pancreatic, colon, liver, ovarian and others. The technology has been optioned for licensing.