Available Technology
Liposome-based, intracellular delivery of drugs into phagocytes, B- and T-cells, and their tumor cells
Markets Addressed
The improved liposomes can be used to deliver:
-Antimicrobial agents into phagocytes for treating cytoplasmic microbial infections (typhoid fever, Legionnaire's disease, tuberculosis, candidasis, Salmonellosis...)
-Protein/peptides into antigen presenting cells
-Nucleic acids into target cells (macrophages, B-cells, T-cells, monocytes...) for gene expression and regulation.
Innovations and Advantages
Liposomes are man-made spheres, or vesicles, with an aqueous interior enclosed by one or more phospholipid bilayers. Liposomes can enhance the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of therapeutics by allowing slow diffusion of a drug through the liposomal membrane, so that the concentration of the drug in the bloodstream remains high for a longer duration as compared to normal intravenous injection. While liposomes can improve the pharmacokinetics of a drug in the bloodstream, they typically cannot deliver drugs into the cytoplasm: liposomes are removed from the circulatory system by macrophages, internalized in the phagosome and degraded following fusion of the phagosome membrane to the host lysosomes.
Harvard Medical School researchers have developed a unique liposome formulation containing hemolysin, a protein which allows the liposome to breach the phagosomal membrane and deliver macromolecules into the cytoplasm of macrophages. Other cells capable of liposome uptake, such as monocytes, B-cells, T-cells, fibroblasts, neutrophils, and tumor cells corresponding to these cells, could also be targeted using this improved formulation.
Additional Information
Intellectual Property Status: Harvard's intellectual property portfolio includes the following patent:
US 5,643,599 issued July 01, 1997.
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Inventor(s):
Lee, Kyung-Dall
Portnoy, Daniel
Swanson, Joel
Categories:
For further information, please contact:
Grant Zimmermann, Director of Business Development
(617) 495-3067
Reference Harvard Case #1127