Pathotropic targeting advances clinical oncology: tumor-targeted localization of therapeutic gene delivery.

The advent of pathotropic (disease-seeking) targeting has transported genetic medicine across the threshold of history with the progressive clinical validation of Rexin-G, a tumor-targeted nanosized anti-cancer agent. Achieving noteworthy single-agent efficacy and survival benefits in otherwise intractable cancers, the molecular biotechnology platform has stimulated intense interest in the underlying mechanisms-of-action. This report exhibits the effective localization of Rexin-G nanoparticles within a metastatic liver lesion, as observed upon its surgical excision.

Targeting metastatic cancer from the inside: a new generation of targeted gene delivery vectors enables personalized cancer vaccination in situ.

The advent of pathotropic (disease-seeking) targeting technologies, combined with advanced gene delivery vectors, provides a unique opportunity for the systemic delivery of immunomodulatory cytokine genes to remote sites of cancer metastasis. When injected intravenously, such pathotropic nanoparticles seek out and accumulate selectively at sites of tumor invasion and neo-angiogenesis, resulting in enhanced gene delivery, and thus cytokine production, within the tumor nodules. Used in conjunction with a primary tumoricidal agent (e.

Development of a sensitive, colorometric microarray assay for allergen-responsive human IgE.

With the existence of several thousand unique human allergens, a multiplex format, such as protein microarrays, is an attractive option for allergy screening. To determine the feasibility and sensitivity of using an enzyme-based, colorimetric protein microarray assay, three common allergens (mold, dust-mite, grass) were arrayed and added sera assayed for responsive human IgE. Normal, low positive, and negative control samples were assayed to determine optimal reaction parameters.

Development of a protein microarray library and a system for rheumatoid-arthritis disease marker screening.

Early detection and intervention can delay the onset of symptoms of RA (rheumatoid arthritis), but current diagnostic tests suffer from low sensitivity and specificity, making such early disease detection difficult. Analysis of body fluids for the identification of multiple molecular markers and the subsequent determination of modifications in their associated protein structures emerges as a possibility for early detection. The structural modifications of these markers are thought to play a pivotal role in defining the pathological state of diseased joints.

Development of an individual-specific autoantibody (ISA) protein microarray.

We have developed an ISA (individual-specific autoantibody) identification method to identify biological samples based on an individual's unique class of autoantibodies. This method involved the presentation of human proteins derived from crude lysates after SDS/PAGE separation and transferance to a solid support. In the present study, ISA strips are produced and developed on a new protein microarray.