Pharmaceuticals and assays using enzyme subunits
AssigneeBiovation Limited
InventorsRichard W Titball, Francis J Carr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of releasing an agent for example, a chemotherapeutic, under predetermined conditions by protecting the agent within a lipid structure such as a liposome, causing lipase activity to be constituted by combining two or more components, e.g., recombinant N- or C-terminal Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin fragments, one of these components being conjugated to a targeting molecule e.g., an antibody which binds to a target such as a tumor antigen. The lipid structure is then exposed to the constituted lipase activity such as to release the agent. Also disclose are materials and kits for use in the method.
Claims10
A method for releasing at least one pharmaceutical agent at a site of a target comprising the steps:
- A binding an antibody to said target wherein said antibody is conjugated
- I) to a lipase wherein the lipase is able to lyse liposome, or
- II) to at least a first lipase component having no or less lipase activity in comparison to a corresponding lipase holoenzyme, and
- B) I) wherein when said antibody is conjugated to a lipase able to lyse liposomes, contacting a liposome containing said pharmaceutical agent with said antibody conjugated to a lipase such that the liposome can be lysed by the lipase, or
- II) wherein when said antibody is conjugated to the at least a first lipase component,
- a) adding a second lipase component which reconstitutes the lipase activity of said at least a first lipase component at least partially by binding to the first lipase component and, subsequently, contacting a liposome containing said pharmaceutical agent with the reconstituted lipase such that the liposome can be lysed by the reconstituted lipase activity, or
- b) adding a liposome containing said pharmaceutical agent to said antibody conjugated to the at least a first lipase component wherein the liposome is associated with a second lipase component able to reconstitute the lipase activity of the at least a first lipase component by binding to the first lipase component wherein said second lipase component is an integral part of the liposome.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.