Efficient gene therapy based targeting system for the treatment of inoperable tumors.

Background: A considerable percentage of tumors are not amenable to surgery. We have designed a simple and powerful targeting system that offers an alternative option for the multi-component pre-targeting strategies used clinically. This targeting system can be used for any type of solid tumors independent of the tumor type, thereby omitting the need to engineer unique antibodies for each specific application or tumour type.

Avidin-biotin technology in targeted therapy.

Importance Of The Field: The goal of drug targeting is to increase the concentration of the drug in the vicinity of the cells responsible for disease without affecting healthy cells. Many approaches in cancer treatment are limited because of their broad range of unwanted side effects on healthy cells. Targeting can reduce side effects and increase efficacy of drugs in the patient.

Avidin fusion protein-expressing lentiviral vector for targeted drug delivery.

One of the main objectives of cancer therapy is to enhance the effectiveness of the drug by concentrating it at the target site and to minimize the undesired side effects to nontarget cells. We have previously constructed a fusion protein, Lodavin, consisting of avidin and the endocytotic part of the low-density lipoprotein receptor, and demonstrated its applicability to transient drug targeting in vivo. In this study we produced a lentiviral vector expressing this fusion protein and evaluated its safety and efficacy.