The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1999
Simon J. Eastman, Hudson, MA (US);
Quiming Chu, Melrose, MA (US);
Jennifer D. Tousignant, Cambridge, MA (US);
Seng H. Cheng, Wellesley, MA (US);
Ronald K. Scheule, Hopkinton, MA (US);
Genzyme Corporation, Framingham, MA (US);
Abstract
The well-differentiated airway epithelium is the principal target tissue for gene therapy for the treatment of CF. However, recent studies have shown that gene delivery vehicles, such as cationic lipid:DNA complexes, can be inefficient at binding to and internalizing into polarized epithelial cells. The present invention provides a method to improve gene therapy by using a compound capable of disrupting tight junctions. In the practice of the invention, the transfection of a biologically active molecule by a cationic amphiphile:biologically active molecule complex or other lipid or viral or nonviral vectors is improved by treating the cells with a class of compounds known in the art as absorption enhancers or tight junction disrupting compounds.