Carbon-based Nanovectors for Targeted Drug Delivery
- Detailed Technology Description
- None
- *Abstract
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Challenge
Current cancer treatments areoften limited by their lack of specificity. The non-specific toxicity of cancer drugsleads to the associated side effects of the treatment. As a result, targeted cancer therapies haveemerged to reduce side effects and increase the therapeutic indices of thedrugs. These targeted strategies,however, rely on covalent attachment of the drug to the targeting agent and/ordelivery platform. This covalentattachment often requires laborious synthetic steps and chemical modificationof the drug compound. This requisite covalent attachment/modification of thedrug can alter its efficacy.
Solution
The present invention offersan alternative to covalent attachment of the drug to a targeting agent or drugdelivery platform. The nanovectors canbe non-covalently functionalized with a drug and a targeting agent to generatea three-component drug delivery platform. In addition to providing facile entry to a drug delivery platform uponsimple mixing, this strategy also allows for modularity in the selection ofdrug and targeting agent. Covalentattachment obviates such modularity in existing targeted drug deliveryplatforms.
The carbon-based core of theplatform also serves to solubilize unmodified hydrophobic drugs and drugcandidates for efficient in vivodelivery.
Benefitsand features
- Does not require covalent attachment/modification of drug
- Nanovector generated upon simple mixing
- Modular platform for targeted drug delivery
- Shows in vitro and in vivo efficacy
MarketPotential / Applications
Targeted drug delivery ofcancer therapies is a growing market, and this work has potential relevance inthe pharmaceutical industry. Nanovectorssuch as the one described herein can lead to novel, targeted therapeuticformulations for the treatment of diseases such as cancer.
It is also important to notethat both commercially-available formulations of paclitaxel involvenon-covalent sequestration of the unmodified drug.
Development and LicensingStatus
Proof of principle has beenestablished, and this technology is undergoing additional pre-clinicaldevelopment where it has shown in vivoefficacy and no toxicity in animal studies.
This technology is availablefor licensing from Rice University.
RiceResearcher
James M. Tour is the T.T. andW.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry at Rice University. He has published over 400 research articlesand is a named inventor on over 40 patents and patent applications.
TechnologyRelevant Papers and Web Links
Berlin, J.M.; Leonard, A.D.;Pham, T.T.; Sano, D.; Marcano, D.C.; Yan, S.; Fiorentino, S.; Milas, Z.L.;Kosynkin, D.V.; Price, K.B.; Lucente-Schultz, R.; Wen, X.; Raso, M.G.; Craig,S.L.; Tran, H.T.; Myers, J.N.; Tour, J.M. “Effective Drug Delivery, In Vitro and In Vivo, by Carbon-Based Nanovectors Noncovalently Loaded withUnmodified Paclitaxel,” ACS Nano 2010, 4, 4621-4636.
A PCT application has beenfiled for this technology.
Tourwebsite: www.jmtour.com
Case# 2010-023
KeyWords: nanovectors,drug delivery, cancer, pharmaceuticals, formulations
Inquiriesto:
Luba Pacala, lpacala@rice.edu,(713) 348-5590
Chance Rainwater, crainwater@rice.edu,(713) 348-4106
- Country/Region
- USA
