Targeted Lipid-Drug Formulations for Delivery of Drugs to Myeloid and Lymphoid Immune Cells

Abstract

A method of preferentially delivering an active agent to an immune cell, such as a myeloid progenitor cell, a dendritic cell, a monocyte, a macrophage or a T-lymphocyte, or other cell type restricted to a functional organ system or an anatomic entity, of a mammalian subject by administering a lipid-drug complex to the subject. The lipid-drug complex is comprised of an active agent, such as a drug, and an outer surface with a targeting ligand that binds a marker on the surface of the immune cell or other cell type that is infected with or susceptible to infection with an infectious agent. The other cell type that is infected with or susceptible to infection with an infectious agent may belong to a malignant tumor or a part of the immune system contributing to the development, maintenance, or exacerbation of an autoimmune disease or chronic inflammatory disease.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 943,758, filed Sep. 17, 2004, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from U.S. provisional patent application Nos. 60 / 503,769, filed Sep. 17, 2003, and 60 / 567,376, filed Apr. 30, 2004, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to the medical arts, and in particular, to targeted liposomal drug delivery.[0004]2. Discussion of the Related Art[0005]Myeloid dendritic cells (My-DCs) belong to the most potent group of professional antigen-presenting cells, with the unique ability to induce primary cellular and humoral immune responses (reviewed in Banchereau J, Paczesny S, Blanco P, Bennett L, Pascual V, Fay J, Palucka A K, Dendritic cells: controllers of the immune system and a new promise for immunotherapy, Ann N Y Acad Sci 987:180-7 [2003]). These cells, within the lymphoid or...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[2003]). Additional benefits provided by the present invention include utility in the treatment of conditions involving abnormal proliferation of immune cells, e.g., primary and metastatic lymphoid cancers (lymphomas and leukemias), solid tumors or their post-surgical remnants, or autoimmune diseases, including specifically targeting immune cells in gene therapy applications. The present invention also provides a way to target dendritic cells for facilitating the production of anti-infective vaccines, anti-bioterrorism vaccines, anti-cancer vaccines, or biotechnological and therapeutic tools such as monoclonal antibodies.

Problems solved by technology

However, application of lipid-drug complexes to drug delivery systems was not realized until 30 years later.

Whereas RES uptake in vivo can be saturated at high doses of liposomes or by predosing with large quantities of control liposomes, this strategy may not be practical for human use because of the adverse effects related to sustained impairment of physiological functions of the RES.

Due to biological constraints, development of long circulating large (>500 nm) liposomes using steric stabilization methods has not been successful.

This process may potentially lead to a premature leakage or dissociation of drugs from liposomes.

However, therapeutic applications of systemically administered liposomes have been limited by their rapid clearance from the bloodstream and their uptake by the RES (Alving C, et al., Complement-dependent phagocytosis of liposomes: suppression by ‘stealth’ lipids, J Liposome Res 2:383-395 ).

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