IMMUNOLIPOSOME DELIVERY OF CHEMOTHERAPEUTICS

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-TARGETED LIPOSOMES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERING CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS. MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY RAISED AGAINST A TUMOR-SPECIFICSURFACE ANTIGEN WILL BE COVALENTLY COUPLED TO THE LIPOSOME SURFACE. THE LINKING CHEMISTRY TO BE USED HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO SUIT SCALE-UP PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTION. THE LIPOSOME FORMULATION WILL HAVE A CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENT DISSOLVED IN THE LIPOSOMAL MEMBRANE OR ENTRAPPED IN THE AQUEOUS INTERIOR OF THE LIPOSOME. EFFICACY WILL BE DETERMINED IN VITRO USING A TISSUE CULTURE ASSAY. EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACEDUPON SCALABLE FORMULATIONS AND MANUFACTURE PROTOCOLS IN THE TARGETED LIPOSOME DESIGN. DEMONSTRATION OF IN VITRO EFFICACY WILL LEAD TO PHASE II RESEARCH IN WHICH EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON IN VIVO EFFICACY AND CHARACTERIZATION WITH RESPECT TO PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY OF THE LIPOSOMES. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A PRODUCT THAT TARGETS CYTOTOXIC AGENTS SPECIFICALLYTO TUMORS IN A FASHION THAT IS FAR SUPERIOR TO FREE DRUG OR NONTARGETED LIPOSOMAL DRUG.