Description of Invention:
The present invention relates to methods of delivering agents to target cells. The target cells are modified by one or more monospecific binding proteins reactive with one, or more, naturally-occurring target cell surface markers. The monospecific binding protein reactive with the cell surface marker is tagged, fused to, or labeled with a chemical moiety which is recognized by, and binds to a site on a multivalent antibody, which also binds an agent to be delivered. The agent is bound to the multivalent antibody, which in turn, is also bound to a tagged monospecific binding protein which is bound to a cell surface marker on a target cell. Thus, the agent is delivered, or directed, to the target cells.
Chemical moiety, as used herein, includes a genetically fused or otherwise coupled peptide, one or more peptides within the sequence of a mono- or bispecific binding protein, a posttranslationally or chemically modified peptide, a chemical substituent such as biotin, incorporated into the protein, or any non-natural amino acid incorporated into the binding protein. Chemical moiety also includes any protein or parts thereof, or peptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is reactive with a recognition site, including a linker connecting variable regions of a single-chain Fv (sFv) or sFv fusion protein, or an epitope of the monospecific binding protein.
The present invention further relates to a method of immunotherapy in a host whereby target cells are destroyed with enhanced selectivity using target cell-directed cytotoxic agents. This method of immunotherapy involves two concepts: the specific modification of the target cell with chemical moiety-labeled monospecific binding proteins and the targeting of cytotoxic agents to the modified target cells.
Inventors:
Andrew J. George et al. (NCI)
Patent Status:
DHHS Reference No. E-130-1993/0 --
U.S. Patent No. 5,861,156 issued 19 Jan 1999
Portfolios: Cancer
Cancer -Therapeutics Cancer -Other
For Additional Information Please Contact: David A. Lambertson Ph.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301)435-4632
Email: lambertsond@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
