Categories | Inventors
Mouse lines for the conditional elimination of the expression of the peripheral benzodiazapine receptor
OHSU # 1455
Categories:
Inventors:
- Michael Forte, VI.Vollum Institute
- Elizabeth Blachly-Dyson, VI.Vollum Institute
- Paolo Bernardi
Technology Overview
The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is an 18 kDa, highly
hydrophobic protein located in the outer mitochondrial membrane that was
initially identified as a binding site for benzodiazepines in tissues that lack
GABA receptors, the clinical target of benzodiazepines in the central nervous
system.
Mouse lines have been generated in which the gene encoding PBR (Tspo) contains loxP sites for conditional elimination of PBR expression using widely available genetic strategies.
Market Summary
Through the years, the PBR has been proposed to play a key role in the
import of precursors into the mitochondria for sterol synthesis and as a key
component of the permeability transition pore, which has been demonstrated to
play a key role in many of the pathologies associated with cellular
Ca2+ overload.
Competitive Environment
Genetic tests of the role of the PBR in mouse models of human disease
have been hampered by the observation that animals lacking expression of the PBR
(non-conditional mutants) results in embryonic lethality. Therefore, no
comparable animal model exists.
Future Research
The inventors plan on crossing to a variety of Cre expressing
lines
Licensing Opportunity
The mice are available for non-exclusive
licensing.
For more information, contact:
Robert Copenhaver
Technology Development Manager
503-494-7809
