Sugar Substrates For Targeted-Drug Delivery
Background:
The National Cancer Institute's Nanobiology Program is seeking
statements of capability or interest from parties interested in
collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or
commercialize the synthesis of UDP derivatives of C2 modified
galactose for use as donor substrates for glycosyltransferases.
Technology:
The delivery of drugs to a specific site of action has presented
researchers with significant challenges. This invention
describes a new class of compounds that can be used as carbohydrate
substrates having numerous diagnostic and therapeutic
applications. Specifically, the invention describes methods
and compositions for making functionalized sugars comprising a
sugar nucleotide and one or more functional groups.
Glycans can be classified as linear or branched sugars.
Eukaryotic cells express several classes of oligosaccharides
attached to proteins or lipids. Animal glycans can be N-linked via
beta-GlcNAc to Asparagine (N-glycans), O-linked via UDP-GalNAc to
Serine/Threonine (O-glycans), or can connect the carboxyl end of a
protein to a phosphatidylinositol unit (GPI-anchors) via a common
core glycan structure. Thus, there is potential to develop
carbohydrate substrates comprising bioactive agents that can be
used to produce glycoconjugates carrying sugar moieties with
bioactive agents. Such glycoconjugates have many therapeutic and
diagnostic uses, e.g. in labeling or targeted delivery.
Further, such glycoconjugates can be used in the assembly of
bio-nanoparticles to develop targeted-drug delivery systems, toxins
for antibody-based cancer therapies, or contrast agents for medical
uses such as magnetic resonance imaging.
Further R&D Needed:
- Preparation of new sugar nucleotides by this method
- Demonstrate application of these functionalized carbohydrates
to cancer therapeutics and diagnostics.
R&D Status: Pre-clinical
discovery
IP Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 61/027,782 filed 11
Feb. 2008
Value
Proposition:
- Ability to produce therapeutic glycoconjugates for
targeted-drug delivery and antibody-based cancer
therapies
- Ability to produce diagnostics for labeling
- Potential to assemble bio-nanoparticles and develop contrast
agents
Contact Information:
John D. Hewes, Ph.D.
NCI Technology Transfer Center
Tel: 301-435-3121
Email: hewesj@mail.nih.gov
Please reference advertisement #742
Revision 10/02/2008
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