INVENTIONS FOR LICENSE

MCL 3053.0: Diagnosis and Treatment of Attentional Disorders

Kwang-Soo Kim, Ph.D., et al.

Screening for ADHD
Predicting Therapeutic Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy
Treatment of ADHD

Background and Description

Attentional disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), are characterized by developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, overactivity, and impulsivity. These disorders can impair social function, learning, and /or development and are recognized as serious developmental problems, and the incidence of these disorders among adolescents and preadolescents, particularly boys, is a significant public health problem. This invention is based on the discovery of a novel polymorphism in the promoter region of a gene expressed in neurons. The polymorphism was found with a higher, statistically significant, frequency in genomic DNA from 68 patients with ADHD (frequency of 0.32) as compared to the DNA of control patients (frequency of 0.22).

Potential Commercial Uses

The invention features diagnostic methods to detect an individual's susceptibility to developing ADHD, particularly the inattentive subtype. The polymorphism can be identified using standard techniques such as PCR or RFLP analysis. Additionally, this invention provides methods for drug screening by assessing the level of expression of gene in which the polymorphism is found when cells are subjected to candidate compounds. Additionally, the invention includes methods of treating ADHD using agents capable of increasing the expression of this target gene.

Publication and Patent Status

McLean Hospital is the owner of U.S. Patent No. 7,807,362 claiming this invention. (USPTO # 7,807,362)

Licenses Available

McLean Hospital is offering a worldwide exclusive license to this technology.

For more information, please contact:

Anne Ritter, Licensing Manager
Partners Research Ventures and Licensing
amritter@partners.org
(617) 954-9529