Novel Strategy to Assess Vascular Permeability for Nanoparticle Therapy
JHU REF: C12886
Invention Novelty: Use of dextran to assess target tissue vascular permeability and clearance of nanoparticles of various sizes for clinical diagnosis and assessment of appropriate nanoparticle treatment of cancer and other diseases.
Value Proposition:
Development of nanoparticle therapeutics for tissue targeted therapy has increased significantly in recent years. Current methods to assess tissue permeability to these drugs with MRI use potentially toxic contrast agents. This technology determines target tissue vascular permeability to nanoparticles by assessing tissue uptake, accumulation, and clearance of different sized dextran using MRI. Advantages include:
- Provides a non-toxic substitute for current molecular contrast agents
- Potentially monitor of tissue-selective drug delivery
- Assess kidney function during treatment by clearance of dextran
- Identify cancer patients that are able to receive specific nanoparticle treatments
Technical Details:
Johns Hopkins researchers administered dextran of various sizes to mice to assess selective tissue uptake, accumulation, and subsequent clearance in the targeted tissues to different sized particles using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI. Dextran was detected by CEST MRI. Differential permeability of an experimental mouse tumor to dextran of various sizes and renal clearance were observed.
Looking for Partners: To develop and commercialize the technology as a novel method of evaluating tissue vascular permeability for clinical diagnosis and assessment of nanoparticle therapeutic treatment.
Stage of Development: Pre-Clinical
Data Availability: animal data
Patent Status: PCT Application Pending, Publication No. WO 2015/134918
Publication(s)/Associated Cases: Not at this time
Categories: Imaging
Keywords: MRI; chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST); antimetabolite; drug delivery; personalized medicine; cancer
