Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110111041 | BACTERIALLY DERIVED INTACT MINICELLS THAT ENCOMPASS PLASMID FREE FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACID FOR IN VIVO DELIVERY TO MAMMALIAN CELLS - Intact, bacterially-derived minicells can safely introduce therapeutically effective amounts of plasmid-free functional nucleic acid to target mammalian cells. To this end, functional nucleic acid can be packaged into intact minicells directly, without resort to expression constructs, the expression machinery of the host cell, harsh chemicals or electroporation. | 05-12-2011 |
20110177185 | PHARMACEUTICALLY COMPATIBLE METHOD FOR PURIFYING INTACT BACTERIAL MINICELLS - The present invention provides a method for purifying bacterial minicells that involves subjecting a sample containing minicells to density gradient centrifugation in a biologically compatible medium. The method optionally includes a preliminary differential centrifugation step and one or more filtration steps. The invention also provides a method for purifying bacterial minicells in which a sample containing minicells is subjected to a condition that induces parent bacterial cells to adopt a filamentous form, followed by filtration of the sample to separate minicells from parent bacterial cells. The inventive methods optionally include one or more steps to remove endotoxin from purified minicell preparations, and/or treatment of purified minicell preparations with an antibiotic. Additionally, the invention provides purified minicell preparations, prepared according to the foregoing methods, and containing fewer than about 1 contaminating parent bacterial cell per 10 | 07-21-2011 |
20110275585 | TARGETED DELIVERY OF DRUGS, THERAPEUTIC NUCLEIC ACIDS AND FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACIDS TO MAMMALIAN CELLS VIA INTACT KILLED BACTERIAL CELLS - A composition comprising intact killed bacterial cells that contain a therapeutic nucleic acid, a drug or a functional nucleic acid is useful for targeted delivery to mammalian cells. The targeted delivery optionally employs bispecific ligands, comprising a first arm that carries specificity for a killed bacterial cell surface structure and a second arm that carries specificity for a mammalian cell surface receptor, to target killed bacterial cells to specific mammalian cells and to cause endocytosis of the killed bacterial cells by the mammalian cells. Alternatively, the delivery method exploits the natural ability of phagocytic mammalian cells to engulf killed bacterial cells without the use of bispecific ligands. | 11-10-2011 |
20120208866 | INTACT MINICELLS AS VECTORS FOR DNA TRANSFER AND GENE THERAPY INVITRO AND INVIVO - A composition comprising recombinant, intact minicells that contain a therapeutic nucleic acid molecule is disclosed. Methods for purifying a preparation of such minicells also are disclosed. Additionally, a genetic transformation method is disclosed, which comprises (i) making recombinant, intact minicells available that contain a plasmid comprised of a first nucleic acid segment, and (ii) bringing the minicells into contact with mammalian cells that are engulfing-competent, such that the minicells are engulfed by the mammalian cells, which thereafter produce an expression product of the first nucleic acid segment. | 08-16-2012 |
20130177499 | BACTERIALLY DERIVED, INTACT MINICELLS FOR DELIVERY OF THERAPEUTIC AGENTS TO BRAIN TUMORS - Systemic administration of intact, bacterially derived minicells results in rapid accumulation of the minicells in the microenvironment of a brain tumor, in therapeutically significant concentrations, without requiring endothelial endocytosis/transcytosis across the blood brain barrier or any other mechanism by which, pursuant to conventional approaches, nanoparticles have entered into that microenvironment. Accordingly, a wide variety of brain tumors, both primary and metastatic, can be treated by administering systemically a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprised of a plurality of such minicells, each minicell being a vehicle for an active agent against the tumor, such as a radionuclide, a functional nucleic acid or a plasmid encoding one, or a chemotherapeutic agent. | 07-11-2013 |
20130236422 | PHARMACEUTICALLY COMPATIBLE METHOD FOR PURIFYING INTACT BACTERIAL MINICELLS - The present invention provides a method for purifying bacterial minicells that involves subjecting a sample containing minicells to density gradient centrifugation in a biologically compatible medium. The method optionally includes a preliminary differential centrifugation step and one or more filtration steps. The invention also provides a method for purifying bacterial minicells in which a sample containing minicells is subjected to a condition that induces parent bacterial cells to adopt a filamentous form, followed by filtration of the sample to separate minicells from parent bacterial cells. The inventive methods optionally include one or more steps to remove endotoxin from purified minicell preparations, and/or treatment of purified minicell preparations with an antibiotic. Additionally, the invention provides purified minicell preparations, prepared according to the foregoing methods, and containing fewer than about 1 contaminating parent bacterial cell per 10 | 09-12-2013 |
20130261170 | BACTERIALLY DERIVED INTACT MINICELLS THAT ENCOMPASS PLASMID FREE FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACID FOR IN VIVO DELIVERY TO MAMMALIAN CELLS - Intact, bacterially-derived minicells can safely introduce therapeutically effective amounts of plasmid-free functional nucleic acid to target mammalian cells. To this end, functional nucleic acid can be packaged into intact minicells directly, without resort to expression constructs, the expression machinery of the host cell, harsh chemicals or electroporation. | 10-03-2013 |
20140155343 | TARGETED DELIVERY OF DRUGS, THERAPEUTIC NUCLEIC ACIDS AND FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACIDS TO MAMMALIAN CELLS VIA INTACT KILLED BACTERIAL CELLS - A composition comprising intact killed bacterial cells that contain a therapeutic nucleic acid, a drug or a functional nucleic acid is useful for targeted delivery to mammalian cells. The targeted delivery optionally employs bispecific ligands, comprising a first arm that carries specificity for a killed bacterial cell surface structure and a second arm that carries specificity for a mammalian cell surface receptor, to target killed bacterial cells to specific mammalian cells and to cause endocytosis of the killed bacterial cells by the mammalian cells. Alternatively, the delivery method exploits the natural ability of phagocytic mammalian cells to engulf killed bacterial cells without the use of bispecific ligands. | 06-05-2014 |
20140220116 | METHODS FOR TARGETED IN VITRO AND IN VIVO DRUG DELIVERY TO MAMMALIAN CELLS VIA BACTERIALLY DERIVED INTACT MINICELLS - A composition comprising intact minicells that contain a drug molecule is useful for targeted drug delivery. One targeted drug delivery method employs bispecific ligands, comprising a first arm that carries specificity for a bacterially derived minicell surface structure and a second arm that carries specificity for a mammalian cell surface receptor, to target drug-loaded minicells to specific mammalian cells and to cause endocytosis of the minicells by the mammalian cells. Another drug delivery method exploits the natural ability of phagocytic mammalian cells to engulf minicells without the use of bispecific ligands. | 08-07-2014 |
20140221459 | BACTERIALLY-DERIVED, INTACT MINICELLS THAT ENCOMPASS PLASMID-FREE FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACID FOR IN VIVO DELIVERY TO MAMMALIAN CELLS - Intact, bacterially-derived minicells can safely introduce therapeutically effective amounts of plasmid-free functional nucleic acid to target mammalian cells. To this end, functional nucleic acid can be packaged into intact minicells directly, without resort to expression constructs, the expression machinery of the host cell, harsh chemicals or electroporation. | 08-07-2014 |
20140315976 | DELIVERING FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACIDS TO MAMMALIAN CELLS VIA BACTERIALLY-DERIVED, INTACT MINICELLS - Intact bacterially derived minicells containing functional nucleic acids or plasmids encoding functional nucleic acids can reduce, in targeted mammalian cells, drug resistance, apoptosis resistance, and neoplasticity, respectively. Methodology that employs minicells to deliver functional nucleic acids, targeting the transcripts of proteins that contribute to drug resistance or apoptosis resistance, inter alia, can be combined with chemotherapy to increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. | 10-23-2014 |
20150098897 | COMBINATION TUMOR TREATMENT WITH DRUG-LOADED, BISPECIFIC LIGAND-TARGETED MINICELLS AND INTERFERON-GAMMA - Compositions and methods are provided for cancer treatments. The methodology entails, for instance, administering to a cancer patient a first composition comprising a plurality of bacterially derived intact minicells or intact killed bacterial cells, each of which encompasses an anti-neoplastic agent and carries a bispecific ligand on the surface, the ligand having specificity for a mammalian cell component, and a second composition comprising interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or an agent that increases the expression of IFN-gamma in the subject. The compositions include the first composition and the second composition as described, optionally with additional anti-neoplastic agents. | 04-09-2015 |