Out-licensing

Available for licensing and commercialization are anti-Pax 2 polyclonal antibodies that can be used for the detection of Pax-2 protein expression in a variety of kidney and neuronal tissues. Pax-2 protein, a transcription factor active during early kidney development, is expressed at high levels in almost all renal proliferative diseases such as renal cancer, polycystic kidney disease and acute renal failure.

The Pax-2 protein has also been linked to Wilms’ tumor, a cancerous kidney tumor accounting for ~6% of childhood cancers, and for which ~500 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.  Wilms’ tumors are hard to diagnose in the early stage because they can grow quite large without causing any pain. While abdominal ultrasound may be used for detection, it is not a practical screening test for otherwise healthy children. There are no blood tests or other tests for screening for Wilms’ tumors which, if diagnosed sufficiently early, may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.

Potential applications of this technology may also include detection of Pax2 protein in urine for both chronic and acute renal disease.

Applications:

• Diagnostics for renal diseases.
• Research tools for evaluating disease processes of the kidney and other tissues through Pax-2 protein expression in the relevant tissues.

Development Status:

Ready for commercialization

Relevant Publications:

1. GR Dressler.  Another niche for Notch.  Kidney Int. 2008 Jun;73(11):1207–1209.  [PubMed abs]
2. SR Patel et al.  The BRCT-domain containing protein PTIP links PAX2 to a histone H3, lysine 4 methyltransferase complex.  Dev Cell. 2007 Oct;13(4):580-592.  [PubMed abs]
3. GR Dressler.  The cellular basis of kidney development.  Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2006;22:509-529.  [PubMed abs]
4. GB Silberstein et al.  Expression of the PAX2 oncogene in human breast cancer and its role in progesterone-dependent mammary growth.  Oncogene. 2002 Feb7;21(7):1009-1016.  [PubMed abs]
5. GR Dressler and AS Woolf.  Pax2 in development and renal disease.  Int J Dev Biol. 1999;43(5):463-468 (Review).  [PubMed abs]
6. GR Dressler.  Pax-2, kidney development, and oncogenesis.  Med Pediatr Oncol. 1996 Nov;27(5):440-444.  [PubMed abs]
7. GR Dressler and EC Douglass.  Pax-2 is a DNA-binding protein expressed in embryonic kidney and Wilms tumor.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1992 Feb 15;89(4):1179-1183.  [PubMed abs]

HHS Reference No. B-039-1996/0 – Research Tool.  Patent protection is not being pursued for this technology.

Inventor:

Gregory Dressler (NICHD)

Licensees Sought:

Available for non-exclusive licensing as biological materials (internal use or commercial use).