65 results about "Endosomal membrane" patented technology

Compositions and methods for transport or release of therapeutic and diagnostic agents or metabolites or other analytes from cells, compartments within cells, or through cell layers or barriers are described. The compositions include a membrane barrier transport enhancing agent and are usually administered in combination with an enhancer and/or exposure to stimuli to effect disruption or altered permeability, transport or release. In a preferred embodiment, the compositions include compounds which disrupt endosomal membranes in response to the low pH in the endosomes but which are relatively inactive toward cell membranes (at physiologic pH, but can become active toward cell membranes if the environment is acidified below ca. pH 6.8), coupled directly or indirectly to a therapeutic or diagnostic agent. Other disruptive agents can also be used, responsive to stimuli and/or enhancers other than pH, such as light, electrical stimuli, electromagnetic stimuli, ultrasound, temperature, or combinations thereof. The compounds can be coupled by ionic, covalent or H bonds to an agent to be delivered or to a ligand which forms a complex with the agent to be delivered. Agents to be delivered can be therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents. Treatments which enhance delivery such as ultrasound, iontopheresis, and/or electrophereis can also be used with the disrupting agents.

Methods and materials for delivering biologically active molecules to cells in vitro or in vivo are provided. The methods and materials use carbon nanotubes or other hydrophobic particles, tubes and wires, functionalized with a linking group that is covalently bound to the nanotubes, or, alternatively, to the biologically active molecule, such as a protein. The biologically active molecule is preferably released from the nanotube when the complex has been taken up in an endosome.

This invention discloses compositions of chloroquine-coupled active agents such as therapeutic antibodies or insulin, including methods for their preparation. The prior art has shown that chloroquines given as free drug in high enough concentration, enhances the release of various agents from cellular endosomes into the cytoplasm. The purpose of these compositions is to provide a controlled amount of chloroquine at the same site where the drug is delivered, thereby reducing the overall dosage needed. The compositions comprise a chloroquine substance coupled to a drug directly or through a variety of pharmaceutical carrier substances. The carrier substances include polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, proteins, micelles and other substances for carrying and releasing the chloroquine compositions in the body for therapeutic effect. The compositions can also include a biocleavable linkage for carrying and releasing the drug for therapeutic or other medical uses. The invention also discloses carrier compositions that are coupled to targeting molecules for targeting the delivery of chloroquine substances and antibody or insulin to their site of action.

The present invention provides improved cell delivery compositions. In particular, the invention provides biocompatible endosomolytic agents. In a preferred embodiment, the endosomolytic agents are also biodegradable and can be broken down within cells into components that the cells can either reuse of dispose of. In one aspect, the present invention provides endosomolytic agents capable of effecting the lysis of an endosome in response to a change in pH, and methods for effecting the lysis of an endosome. These inventive endosomolytic agents obviate the need for known agents (i.e., chloroquine, fusogenic peptides, inactivated adenoviruses and polyethyleneimine) that can burst endosomes and have negative effects on cells. In another aspect, the present invention provides cell delivery compositions comprising an endosomolytic component that is capable of effecting the lysis of the endosome in response to a change in pH, and an encapsulating, or packaging, component capable of packaging a therapeutic agent to be delivered to cellular or subcellular components.

Compositions and methods for transport or release of therapeutic and diagnostic agents or metabolites or other analytes from cells, compartments within cells, or through cell layers or barriers are described. The compositions include a membrane barrier transport enhancing agent and are usually administered in combination with an enhancer and/or exposure to stimuli to effect disruption or altered permeability, transport or release. In a preferred embodiment, the compositions include compounds which disrupt endosomal membranes in response to the low pH in the endosomes but which are relatively inactive toward cell membranes, coupled directly or indirectly to a therapeutic or diagnostic agent. Other disruptive agents can also be used, responsive to stimuli and/or enhancers other than pH, such as light, electrical stimuli, electromagnetic stimuli, ultrasound, temperature, or combinations thereof. The compounds can be coupled by ionic, covalent or H bonds to an agent to be delivered or to a ligand which forms a complex with the agent to be delivered. Agents to be delivered can be therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents. Treatments which enhance delivery such as ultrasound, iontopheresis, and/or electrophereis can also be used with the disrupting agents.

This invention discloses compositions of chloroquine-coupled active agents, including methods for their preparation. The prior art has shown that chloroquines given as free drug in high enough concentration, enhances the release of various agents from cellular endosomes into the cytoplasm. The purpose of these compositions is to provide a controlled amount of chloroquine at the same site where the active agent is delivered, thereby reducing the overall dosage needed. The compositions comprise a chloroquine substance coupled to an active agent directly or through a variety of pharmaceutical carrier substances. The carrier substances include polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, proteins, micelles and other substances for carrying and releasing the chloroquine compositions in the body for therapeutic effect. The compositions can also include a biocleavable linkage for carrying and releasing active agents for therapeutic or other medical uses. The invention also discloses carrier compositions that are coupled to targeting molecules for targeting the delivery of chloroquine substances and active agents to their site of action.

A complex for gene transfer a DNA molecule specifically and non-specifically bound to DNA binding protein. Additionally, it can include a chimeric compound for gene transfer. The chimeric compound has a DNA-binding element and a ligand binding element. The chimeric recombinant DNA can also include a binding protein which has a first element for binding to a receptor, a second element for binding to DNA, a third element for destabilizing endosomes and a fourth element for directing the traffic in a protein containing complex in the nucleus of a cell. The complex will be used for the treatment of a variety of diseases.

The invention provides ion-selective sensors capable of selectively measuring ions, e.g., Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, etc., in the cytosol of a single living cell. The sensor comprises one or more quantum dots or a fluorescent dye, a pH-sensitive dye, and optionally an ion-selective component such as an ionophore. These elements may, for example, be disposed in a polymer matrix. The polymer matrix comprises an internalizing moiety which enables the sensor to localize within the cytosol of a cell. The internalizing moiety comprises a small molecule or peptide such as an amine, antepennepedia, mastoparan, or melittin that react under acidic conditions to release a sensor from the confines of a endosome. Once in the cytosol the sensors may detect ionic analytes by selective ion extraction by the polymer, thereby inducing a pH change within the sensor which in turn changes the absorbance of the pH-sensitive dye. The change of absorbance may in turn attenuate the intensity of detectable emissions, e.g., fluorescence, from the quantum dot or dye by directly absorbing its fluorescence emission.

The invention is a micro-flow control chip-based single-cell endosome analysis, made on a chip platform. First, exert voltage on cell pool and earth cell waste liquor one, the electric power drives the cells to flow from the cell pool to the cell waste liquor one, observe by microscope, and when the cells reach the exit of the detecting channel, make the electrodes of the two pools suspend; at the same time, exert high voltage on run buffer liquor pool and cell cracking liquor pool, and earth waste liquor pool; in this voltage mode, ensure the cells, the cell cracking liquor, screening agent, and run buffer liquor to enter separating channel in order to complete cracking and separating single cell; and detect the endosome on two ends of the channel. It can make single or parallel analysis on the endosome.

The invention provides a recombinant nucleic acid useful for inducing a protective immune response against an allergen. The recombinant nucleic acid encodes an allergen and a signal peptide that mediates the translocation of the allergen to endoplasmic reticulum and preferably also encodes a second signal peptide that targets the gene to an endosome or a lysosome. The recombinant nucleic acid, when administered to a subject induces a Th 1 type immunity and inhibits IgE production and therefore may be used to prevent and treat an allergic reaction. In various aspects therefore, the invention provides a vaccine and immunogenic composition comprising the recombinant nucleic acid.

Methods for delivering ligands to a cell by using light to activate fluorescent ligands causing their release from endosomes. The instant methods thus increasing the efficiency of ligands, e.g. in vitro or at localized sites within a subject. The invention provides for the release of ligands by shining a light source on a cell to promote release of ligands into the cell where they can effect their function.

Weak-base amphiphilic delivery peptide compositions are described for use in delivering large polar substances (cargo) into the cytosol of animal cells via an indirect endocytosis-mediated delivery process. The delivery peptides, which are predominantly non-ionic at neutral pH, bind but do not permeabilize cell membranes. After endocytosis of both delivery peptides and cargo, acidification of the endosome converts the delivery peptides to their polycationic form, whereupon they permeabilize the endosomal membrane and allow co-endocytosed cargo to pass from the endosome to the cytosol of the cell.

The present invention is directed to non-cytotoxic protein conjugates for inhibition or reduction of exocytic fusion in a nociceptive sensory afferent cell. The protein conjugates comprise: (i) a galanin Targeting Moiety (TM), wherein the TM is an agonist of a receptor present on a nociceptive sensory afferent cell, and wherein the receptor undergoes endocytosis to be incorporated into an endosome within the nociceptive sensory afferent cell; (ii) a non-cytotoxic protease or a fragment thereof, wherein the protease or protease fragment is capable of cleaving a protein of the exocytic fusion apparatus of the nociceptive sensory afferent cell; and (iii) a Translocation Domain, wherein the Translocation Domain translocates the protease or protease fragment from within the endosome, across the endosomal membrane, and into the cytosol of the nociceptive sensory afferent cell. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the protein conjugates, methods of preparing same and uses thereof are is also described.

The invention discloses a siRNA echovirus delivery system with a shell-core structure. The core of the structure refers to polyarginine-modified or polyhistidine-modified chitosan coated siRNA, and the shell refers to albumin modified by polypeptide containing an RGD group sequence and by arginine. The delivery system can recognize tumor cells in a targeted mode, after the system enters in an endosome-lysosome acid environment, the protein shell is removed, the exposed core can escape from the endosome-lysosome, and under the intracellular GSH reduction condition, siRNA is released. The delivery system is good in stability, high in gene loading capacity and excellent in active target performance, and can significantly improve the gene silencing effect of siRNA and effectively inhibit the growth and metastasis of tumor cells.