Intracellular neutralization of a virus using a cell-penetrating molecular transporter.

AIMS: Antibodies are the principal mediator of immunity against reinfection with viruses. Antibodies typically neutralize viruses by binding to virion particles in solution prior to attachment to susceptible cells. Once viruses enter cells, conventional antibodies cannot inhibit virus infection or replication. It is desirable to develop an efficient and nontoxic method for the introduction of virus-inhibiting antibodies into cells. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this article, we report a new method for the delivery of small recombinant antibody fragments into virus-infected cells using a dendrimer-based molecular transporter. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: The construct penetrated virus-infected cells efficiently and inhibited virus replication. This method provides a novel approach for the immediate delivery of inhibitory antibodies directed to virus proteins that are exposed only in the intracellular environment. This approach circumvents the current and rather complicated expression of inhibitory antibodies in cells following gene transfer.

A new paradigm for treatment of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the leading irreversible cause of blindness in the world. We are developing a new image-guidance system to deliver a neuroprotective drug in a controlled release nanosponge. The system consists of a magnetically tracked image-guidance system, the nanosponge material and the drug. We have characterized the performance of each aspect in phantoms, animals and ex-vivo human tissue.

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in combination with chemotherapy delays hematopoietic recovery due to decreased proliferation of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells.

INTRODUCTION: Targeting of cancer by chemotherapy in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy has demonstrated not only the clinical efficacy but also a higher risk of serious hematologic complications including neutropenia. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of neutropenia during the combination treatment. METHODS: Mouse model and in vitro studies were undertaken to determine the effect of interference with VEGF signaling by VEGF-specific agents or a multitargeted VEGF receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor on proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) and repopulation of the hematopoietic compartment after myeloablation. RESULTS: The studies demonstrated that blockage of VEGFR1 or VEGFR2 signaling decreased HPC proliferation and impaired repopulation of the hematopoietic compartment after myelosuppression by slowing the progression of HPC through the cell cycle. The combination of cytotoxic drugs and VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor had an additive inhibitory effect and decreased proliferation of HPC significantly stronger than either agent alone. CONCLUSIONS: Signaling through both VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 is required for normal reconstitution of the hematopoietic compartment after cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The effect of macromolecular architecture in nanomaterials: a comparison of site isolation in porphyrin core dendrimers and their isomeric linear analogues.

The influence of macromolecular architecture on the physical properties of polymeric materials has been studied by comparing poly(benzyl ether) dendrons with their exact linear analogues. The results clearly confirm the anticipation that dendrimers are unique when compared to other architectures. Physical properties, from hydrodynamic volume to crystallinity, were shown to be different, and in a comparative study of core encapsulation in macromolecules of different architecture, energy transduction from the polymer backbone to a porphyrin core was shown to be different for dendrimers as compared to that of isomeric four- or eight-arm star polymers. Fluorescence excitation revealed strong, morphology dependent intramolecular energy transfer in the three macromolecular isomers investigated. Even at high generations, the dendrimers exhibited the most efficient energy transfer, thereby indicating that the dendritic architecture affords superior site isolation to the central porphyrin it surrounds.