Pitt innovators were issued 8 U.S. patents in February 2022.
Featured patent: 11,242,339 “Chemical Inhibition of the E3 Ligase Subunit FBX07 Confers Neuroprotection and Anti-Inflammatory Activity by Stabilizing Mitochondria”
The Pink1 protein keeps cells healthy by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis and counteracting oxidative stress.Loss of function mutations in the Pink1 gene causes mitochondrial dysfunction and an early onset familial form of Parkinson’s disease.
No drugs on the market target this particular protein. Pitt innovators led by Charlene Chu, professor of pathology, have identified a ligase that targets the Pink 1 protein and prevents its degradation. This innovation has potential applications in preventing and treating Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s diseases, stroke and fronto-temporal dementia, as well as inflammatory disorders such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and more.
For more information on this technology, including licensing, contact Maria Vanegas at mvanegas@innovation.pitt.edu.
Below is a listing of all patents issued to Pitt innovators in January 2022. Or see a listing of all Pitt technologies available for licensing.
| Patent number | Title | Inventor(s) | Licensing manager | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,253,480 | Treatment of Ocular Conditions Utilizing a Histone/Protein Deacetylase Inhibitor | Steven Little; Michelle Ratay | Janice Panza | Available for licensing |
| 11,243,202 | Methods and Compositions for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Renal Injury and Renal Failure | Alexander Zarbock; Paul McPherson; John Kellum Jr. | Alex Ducruet | Available for licensing |
| 11,243,217 | Management of Acute Kidney Injury Using Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase 2 | John Kellum Jr.; James Kampf; Paul McPherson | Alex Ducruet | Available for licensing |
| 11,243,881 | Practical ORAM Delegation for Untrusted Memory on Cloud Servers | Rujia Wang; Youtao Zhang; Jun Yang | Robert Racunas | Available for licensing |
| 11,242,339 | Chemical Inhibition of the E3 Ligase Subunit FBXO7 Confers Neuroprotection and Anti-Inflammatory Activity by Stabilizing Mitochondria | Yuan Liu; Beibei Chen; Rama Mallampalli; Charleen Chu | Maria Vanegas | Available for licensing |
| 11,246,838 | Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Containing Polymer Microparticles for Noninvasive Ocular Drug Delivery | Morgan Fedorchak; Steven Little; Joel Schuman; Anthony Cugini | Janice Panza | Optioned |
| 11,253,559 | Oncolytic Viruses Targeting STAT3 | Stephen Thorne; Daniel Byrd | Maria Vanegas | Licensed |
| 11,253,594 | Drug Combinations for Protecting Against Neuronal Cell Death | Mark Schurdak; Andrew Stern | Andrew Remes | Available for licensing |