Targeted drug delivery with a hyaluronan ligand

A method for delivering a therapeutic agent to a cell expressing the CD44 receptor comprising the step of contacting the cell with a composition comprising an encapsulating delivery vehicle and a plurality of hyaluronan ligands, wherein each hyaluronan ligand has a molecular weight of less than 10,000 Daltons and is attached to the delivery vehicle by way of a single link;

• further comprising an agent associated with the delivery vehicle, wherein said agent is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, topotecan, gemcitabine, protein kinase C inhibitors, daunomycin, cisplatin, vinorelbine, cytosine arabinoside, vinblastine, vincristine, methotrexate, paclitaxel, fluoroorotic acid, N-(phosphonyl)L-aspartic acid, tomudex, irinotecan, camptothecin, octadecylphosphocholine, ether lipids, teniposide, docetaxel, mitomycin, indoloquinones, ormaplatin, staurosporine, bryostatin, and mitoxantrone.

A method for delivering a therapeutic agent to a patient having cells that express the CD44 receptor, comprising the step of administering a composition comprising an encapsulating delivery vehicle and a plurality of hyaluronan ligands, wherein each hyaluronan ligand has a molecular weight of less than 10,000 Daltons and is attached to the delivery vehicle by way of a single link;

• further comprising an agent associated with the delivery vehicle, wherein said agent is selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, topotecan, gemcitabine, protein kinase C inhibitors, daunomycin, cisplatin, vinorelbine, cytosine arabinoside, vinblastine, vincristine, methotrexate, paclitaxel, fluoroorotic acid, N-(phosphonyl)L-aspartic acid, tomudex, irinotecan, camptothecin, octadecylphosphocholine, ether lipids, teniposide, docetaxel, mitomycin, indoloquinones, ormaplatin, staurosporine, bryostatin, and mitoxantrone.