Method for muscle delivery of drugs, nucleic acids and other compounds
AssigneeGenetronics, Inc.
InventorsIacob Mathiesen, Terje Lomo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method is disclosed for delivering molecules such as pharmaceutical drugs and nucleic acids into skeletal muscle in vivo. The molecule is first injected into the muscle at one or multiple sites. Immediately or shortly after injection, electrodes are placed flanking the injection site and a specific amount of electrical current is passed through the muscle. The electrical current makes the muscle permeable, thus allowing the molecule to enter the cell. In the case where nucleic acid is injected, the efficiency of transfer permits expression of protein encoded by the nucleic acid in an amount that exhibits systemic biological activity and which generates a robust immune response.
Claims34
A method of delivering a molecule to the skeletal muscle of a mammal in vivo, comprising:
- (a) injecting a molecule into skeletal muscle of a mammal, whereby a penetration site and a treatment region are created;
- (b) positioning electrodes spaced from said penetration site such that current traveling between the electrodes passes through the treatment region;
- and
- (c) electrically stimulating the muscle with an electrical current.
A method of delivering a molecule to the skeletal muscle of a mammal in vivo, comprising:
- (a) injecting a molecule into skeletal muscle of a mammal, whereby a penetration site and a treatment region are created;
- (b) positioning electrodes spaced from said penetration site such that current traveling between the electrodes passes through the treatment region;
- and
- (c) electrically stimulating the muscle with a fixed electrical current that results in field strength that varies with tissue resistance, said field strength varying from about 25 V/cm to less than about 250 V/cm.
A method of expressing a polypeptide in a mammal, comprising:
- (a) injecting one or more expression vectors into skeletal muscle of a mammal, whereby a penetration site and a treatment region are created, wherein (i) said vector contains a nucleic acid segment that encodes a polypeptide and (ii) said segment is under genetic control suitable to express said polypeptide in cells of said mammal;
- (b) positioning electrodes spaced from said penetration site such that current traveling between the electrodes passes through the treatment region;
- and;
- (c) electrically stimulating the muscle with an electrical current.
A method of expressing a polypeptide in a mammal, comprising:
- (a) injecting one or more expression vectors into skeletal muscle of a mammal, whereby a penetration site and a treatment region are created, wherein (i) said vector contains a nucleic acid segment that encodes a polypeptide and (ii) said segment is under genetic control suitable to express said polypeptide in cells of said mammal;
- (b) positioning electrodes spaced from said penetration site such that current traveling between the electrodes passes through the treatment region;
- and
- (c) electrically stimulating the muscle with an a fixed electrical current that results in field strength that varies with tissue resistance, said field strength varying from about 25 V/cm to less than about 250 V/cm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.