Patent Picks—Ethnic Hair and Skin Research, Product Development

By: Rachel Grabenhofer

Posted: September 8, 2010

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Thus, the present invention provides methods and routines for developing and optimizing nucleic acid detection assays for use in basic research, clinical research, and for the development of clinical detection assays. In particular, the present invention provides methods for designing oligonucleotide primers to be used in multiplex amplification reactions. The present invention also provides methods to optimize multiplex amplification reactions.

Methods of modulating the activity of the MC1 receptor and treatment of conditions related to this receptor
WIPO Patent Application WO/2010/096853
Publication date: Sept. 2, 2010
Assignee: Mimetica Pty., Ltd. (Australia)

The present invention provides compounds that are useful for binding and/or modulating the biological activity of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R). Compounds of this invention can be used to treat diseases and/or conditions in which modulation of MC1R is beneficial. Such diseases and/or conditions include, but are not limited to: hyperpigmentation (including melasma), hypopigmentation (including vitiligo), melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, erythropoietic protoporphyria, polymorphous light eruption, solar urticaria, photosensitivity, sunburn, inflammatory diseases, aberrant fibroblast activity and pain. 

Sequence variants for inferring human pigmentation patterns
US Patent Application 20100216655
Publication date: Aug. 26, 2010
Inventors: Sulem, Patrick (Reykjavik, IS)

The present invention discloses variants that are predictive of human pigmentation patterns. The invention furthermore relates to variants that are useful for determining risk of skin cancer, including melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. The disclosed variants can be utilized for the determination of the natural pigmentation patterns of a human individual, and for determining a susceptibility to melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, from a sample of genetic material. Methods and kits including the variants described are useful in, e.g., forensic testing and diagnostic applications.