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Ultrasensitive Detection Probes for Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxins

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: National Institutes of Health
Contract: 1R43AI102432-01
Agency Tracking Number: R43AI102432
Amount: $297,023.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: NIAID
Solicitation Number: PA10-123
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2012
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
60 Hazelwood Dr
champaign, IL -
United States
DUNS: 829773550
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 ADAM CHERVIN
 (217) 979-1993
 chervin@immuven.com
Business Contact
 CHERYL QUINN
Phone: (858) 768-1720
Email: cquinn@immuven.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human health threat, producing exotoxins called superantigens, which are responsible for a range of diseases. S. aureus superantigens are associated with food-borne illnesses, pulmonary disease, pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome, exacerbated atopic dermatitis, delayed wound healing, and infectious endocarditis. The objective of the proposed work is to use high-affinity probes against these toxins, engineered by ImmuVen, to develop ultrasensitive detection assays. The probes include soluble T cell receptor proteins (IMV01, IMV02, IMV03, and IMV04) engineered for very high-affinity binding to Staphylococcal enterotoxins SEB, SEC, TSST-1, and SEA, respectively. It is thought that there are about 185,000 cases of Staphylococcal food-borne illness in the United States, annually, resulting in around 1750 hospitalizations with a cost of 1.5 billion. The hypotheses of this Phase I application are that ImmuVen can develop a high affinity Vbetaprotein that will bind SEA, the most important superantigen involved in Staphylococcal food-borne illness, and that this protein and the other already characterized soluble proteins can be used to develop a rapid multiplex assay for the detection of theseStaphylococcal superantigens. The work will be performed in collaboration with Prof. David Kranz (University of Illinois), and Drs. Sandra Tallent and Jeffrey DeGrasse at the FDA. The Specific Aims are: 1) To engineer a high affinity, soluble V against SEA; 2) To develop V -based assays to detect SEA, SEB, SEC, and TSST-1. In Phase II work, ImmuVen will further develop these assays, toward both a standardized food detection platform, and a clinical diagnostic tool. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human health threat, producing exotoxins called superantigens, which are responsible for a range of diseases. Staphylococcus aureus superantigens are associated with food-borne illness, pulmonary disease, pneumonia, TSS, exacerbated atopic dermatitis, delayed wound healing, and infectious endocarditis. It is thought that there are about 185,000 cases of Staphylococcal food-borne illness in the United States, annually, resulting in around 1750 hospitalizations with a cost of1.5 billion. ImmuVen technology will be used to develop detection tools to identify Staphylococcal superantigens in a variety of samples.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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