Lead Inventors: Franklin D. Constantini Ph.D. and Zeng Li Problem or Unmet Need: The Wnt signaling pathway is a complex network of proteins that plays a role in cancer, embryogenesis, adult neurogenesis and axon guidance. Given its relevance, the Wnt...

Lead Inventors: Franklin D. Constantini Ph.D. and Zeng Li Problem or Unmet Need: The Wnt signaling pathway is a complex network of proteins that plays a role in cancer, embryogenesis, adult neurogenesis and axon guidance. Given its relevance, the Wnt signaling pathway has been under intensive research. There is an ever-growing need for tools to quantify, localize and alter the cellular concentrations of Wnt-pathway molecules to serve as research tools and future therapeutics. Details of the Invention: • Axin (or Axin1) is a negative regulator of Wnt signaling • The invention gives the nucleotide sequence of human and mouse Axin (Axin1) gene • The invention describes a transgenic mouse carrying the Fused allele of the Axin gene • The invention gives the amino acid sequence of the Axin (Axin1) protein Applications: • Identifying Axin mutations in humans to predict cancer susceptibility • Discovery of molecular therapeutics that interfere with Wnt-pathway signaling by increasing or augmenting the activity of Axin • Generation of Axin-specific antibodies • Generation of Axin-targeting siRNA and shRNA • Generation of viruses and other cellular targeting tools carrying the axin gene or its mutants Advantages: • The invention enables diverse biological applications Patent Status: US Patent 6,307,019 Publications: • Zeng et al., The mouse Fused locus encodes Axin, an inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway that regulates embryonic axis formation. Cell. 1997 Jul 11;90(1):181-92. Licensing Status: Available for Licensing and Sponsored Research Support

Pat. Title: CONTAINING NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE &/OR AMINO ACID SEQUENCE/AXIN GENE & USES THEREOF AXIN GENE AND USES THEREOF AXIN GENE AND USES THEREOF AXIN GENE AND USES THEREOF

Publication #: WO 99/02179

App. #: 08/890,865 PCT/US98/14414 98934445.2 09/480,055

Patent #: 6307019

Licensing or sponsored research support