Intracellular Trapping of Radionuclides by Enzyme-Mediated Reduction
Description of Invention:
The invention provides a novel technique for intracellular trapping of radionuclides for use in cancer therapy and imaging. The technique includes enzyme-mediated intracellular trapping of a radionuclide in a target cell by transfecting the target cell with a transgenic vector encoding a microbial hydrogenase and treating the transfected target cell with a radionuclide. The transgenically expressed microbial hydrogenase catalyzes the reduction of the radionuclide. The reduced radionuclide is trapped intracellularly where its emissions can be detected in radioscintigraphy applications. Emissions from intracellularly trapped radionuclides can also be cytotoxic to the target cell and therefore useful in radiotherapy applications. The invention further provides a reporter mechanism wherein a microbial hydrogenase encoding nucleic acid is included in a vector along with a transgene, both under the control of the same promoter. The detection of emissions from intracellularly reduced and trapped radionuclides is used to monitor transgene expression.
Inventors:
Fangyu Peng (CC) King Li (CC) Sunil Pandit (CC)
Cancer -Diagnostics-In Vivo-Other Cancer -Therapeutics-Gene Therapy-Vectors Cancer -Therapeutics-Gene Therapy-Delivery Systems Devices/Instrumentation-Diagnostics-Imaging-Methods Cancer -Diagnostics Cancer -Therapeutics Devices/Instrumentation-Diagnostics
For Additional Information Please Contact: Michael Shmilovich J.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-5019
Email: shmilovm@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
