Nanoparticles for Detection and Treatment of Vascular Disease and Cancer
- Countries
- Not Applicable (PCT App)
- Application No.
- 2013033513
- *Abstract
-
Application
· Imaging of atherosclerotic plaques
· Diagnosis of thrombotic event or cancer
· Targeted therapy of ATVD
· Monitoring of disease progression andtherapeutic outcome through measurement of membrane potential
ProblemsAddressed (benefits/advantages)
· Early detection and diagnosis of disease, whichmay lead to decreased morbidity and mortality
· Delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agentsspecifically to areas of need
TechnologySummary
Atherothrombotic vasculardisease (ATVD), or atherosclerosis, is the number one cause of death in theindustrialized world, and the problem is growing annually due to the increasingrate of obesity and insulin resistance worldwide. Although oral drugs that lower systemic riskfactors have been successful, there is a tremendous treatment gap that leavesthe majority of people at continued risk. Currently there is no widely accepted diagnostic method to prospectivelyidentify vulnerable plaques that could lead to ATVD. The development of such a diagnostic toolcould reduce morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.
Dr. Shanta Dhar has developednanoparticles that target apoptotic cells using markers for both phosphatidylserine(PS) and cell membrane potential, as apoptotic cells play an important role inthe development of plaques that can lead to ATVD. One use of these nanoparticles would be forvisualization, imaging, and diagnosis of ATVD, as they can be loaded withcontrast agents. Alternatively, thenanoparticles could be loaded with therapeutic agents to target vulnerable plaquesfor therapeutic purposes. Interestingly,PS is also associated with the surfaces of tumor blood vessels, so thistechnology may have a dual application in the cancer field.
Inventors
· Shanta Dhar, PhD
Dr. Dhar’s research interests lie at the interface ofchemistry and biology with particular emphasis on nanocarrier-mediatedintracellular delivery of payloads for potential applications in variousdiseases.
· Sean Marrache, Graduate Student
TechnologyDevelopment and IP Status
· Patentpending in US, Europe and Japan
· Discoveryand pre-clinical development stage
- *IP Issue Date
- None
- *IP Type
- Utility
- Country/Region
- USA
