Ex Parte Schneck et al - Page 7

                Appeal 2007-1161                                                                                 
                Application 09/954,166                                                                           
                terminus of the variable regions of the heavy chain and the light chain”                         
                (Answer 6).                                                                                      
                19.  “[T]he fusion proteins retain binding activity” (Answer 6).  See, e.g.,                     
                Harris, p. 14.                                                                                   
                20.  “[T]he binding domains can include cell surface receptors (see [Harris]                     
                entire document, particularly pages 6-8, page 12, lines 15-19 and page 13,                       
                lines 7-16 and Figures 2, 6, 8 and 9)” (Answer 6).                                               
                Level of Skill                                                                                   
                21.  As summarized below, the evidence of record establishes that the                            
                technical skill of the ordinary skilled worker at the time the invention was                     
                made was high.                                                                                   
                22.  Each of Dal Porto, Chang, and Harris teach engineering of complexes of                      
                various types of fusion proteins.                                                                
                23.  Dal Porto describes heavy chain immunoglobulin grafted with MHC                             
                domains (Dal Porto, p. 6673. col. 2).                                                            
                24. Chang discloses a dimeric fusion protein complex, where each fusion                          
                protein comprises an extracellular TCR domain fused to a coiled coil domain                      
                of leucine zippers (Chang, p. 11408).                                                            
                25.  Harris teaches various types of extracellular domains fused to light and                    
                heavy immunoglobulin chains (Harris, p. 6-7), similar in structure to Dal                        
                Porto’s molecule.                                                                                
                26.  Thus, the skilled worker had the technical skill and knowledge to                           
                prepare fusion proteins, including the knowledge to select a receptor type                       
                (e.g., MHC or TCR) and a polypeptide to fuse it to (e.g., coiled coil,                           
                immunoglobulin light chain; immunoglobulin heavy chain),                                         


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