TARGETING DRUGS TO CANCER CELLS

Cancer cells over-express receptors for a variety of ligands, including folic acid, various hormones, certain cytokines, a variety of metabolites, and several extracellular proteins.  We are exploiting the upregulation of these cell surface receptors to target imaging and therapeutic agents to the over-expressing cancer cells.   Studies are also underway to target siRNAs and other therapeutic nucleic acids to the same cells.

TARGETING DRUGS TO INFLAMMATORY CELLS

Activated macrophages participate in both initiation and prolongation of a large number of inflammatory diseases, largely through their release of tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1, IL-6, prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, collagenases, and metalloproteinases.  Because many anti-inflammatory drugs are designed to neutralize these mediators of inflammation, we have hypothesized that direct elimination of the activated subpopulation of macrophages might accomplish the same result as the simultaneous administration of multiple anti-inflammatory drugs.  To this end, we are developing ligands that can target attached drugs selectively to activated macrophages, leaving the non-activated population of macrophages unharmed.

TARGETING DRUGS TO INFECTIOUS PATHOGENS

Human pathogens express adhesion receptors that allow them to bind and enter our cells.  We are exploiting the docking molecules to which these pathogens bind on our cell surfaces to build targeting ligands that can target attached drugs to the receptor-expressing pathogens.  These targeting ligands allow the selective delivery of both imaging and therapeutic agents specifically to these pathogenic microbes.

TARGETING DRUGS TO OTHER IMPORTANT DISEASES

We are also developing new ligands that can target attached drugs to the cells that cause diabetes, atherosclerosis, and other important diseases.