Imperial College Innovations Limited

Imperial Innovations Limited

Teerapong Yata

Amin Hajitou

Paladd Asavarut

The invention provides hybrid and recombinant phagemid vectors for expressing a transgene in a target cell transduced with the vector. A recombinant phagemid particle comprises at least one transgene expression cassette which encodes an agent which exerts a biological effect on the target cell, characterised in that the phagemid particle comprises a genome which lacks at least 50% of its bacteriophage genome. The invention extends to the use of such phagemid expression systems as a research tool, and for the delivery of transgenes in a variety of gene therapy applications, DNA and/or peptide vaccine delivery and imaging techniques. The invention extends to in vitro, in vivo or in situ methods for producing viral vectors, such as recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) or lentivirus vectors (rLV), and to genetic constructs used in such methods.

Phagemid vector

The invention provides a recombinant targeted bacteriophage for expressing a transgene in a target cell transduced with the bacteriophage. The bacteriophage comprises a first nucleic acid sequence encoding a pill capsid minor coat protein that is configured to display a cell-targeting ligand for enabling delivery of the bacteriophage to a target cell, a second nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one pVIII capsid major coat protein that is configured to display a foreign peptide thereon, and a transgene which encodes a protein which exerts a biological effect on the target cell.

Tetrafunctional bacteriophage

The invention provides a targeted bacteriophage-polymer complex comprising a recombinant targeted-bacteriophage and a cationic polymer. The complex has a net positive charge. The invention provides methods of preparing bacteriophages and complexes thereof, and to their uses for the delivery of transgenes in a variety of gene therapy applications.

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Teerapong Yata