Targeting the delivery of cytotoxic agents to tumour cells using novel minicells as drug delivery vehicles and engineered, bispecific antibodies (2012-2015)
Abstract
The project aims to develop "supercharged antibodies" for targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents to tumour cells. The technology deploys a novel drug delivery vehicle, the minicell, coupled with engineered bispecific antibodies for targeting. Minicells can be packaged with therapeutically significant concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents of differing charge, hydrophobicity and solubility, and targeted to tumour cells through the creation of bispecific antibodies that bind both minicell and selected tumour antigens. The targeted minicell will circumvent current problems associated with cancer treatment such as development of multi-drug resistance and limited drug potency, due to inadequate concentration at the cell surface .
