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:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 10, 2000
Jörg G Moser, Düsseldorf, DE;
Wolfgang Neuberger, Labaun, MY;
CeramOptec Industries, Inc., East Longmeadow, MA (US);
Abstract
A drug delivery system and methods are provided wherein a therapeutic/diagnostic agent or a component of the immune system is directed to particular cells in a selected organ or a specific site. Such a system can be formed by a photoselective compound generally described as V-M-P-C. V is a vector component suitable to target particular cells in a selected organ or site, where the type of the cell or antigen does not have to be specific to the desired treatment site. M is a marker component that is capable of being targeted by a therapeutic/diagnostic agent or a component of the immune system. P is a photocleavable or photosensitive bond, and C is a cap component rendering M ineffective. C is connected to M by the photocleavable or photosensitive bond. The photoselective compound is administered and marks targets of a certain kind of cell or a specific site. Then radiation of a specific wavelength or wavelength range is applied to the geometric volume that is to be treated, uncapping the M sites in the desired treatment volume. Therapeutic or diagnostic agents can be subsequently or concurrently administered in a form that specifically targets the uncapped sites of M. The therapeutic or diagnostic agent can be a drug, a radioactive compound, a fluorescent compound or a photosensitiser. Additional components, such as multiplier molecules, can also be inserted into the basic V-M-P-C scheme. Moreover, the marker component can be such that after the removal of the cap component, components of the immune system can bind to M and thus concentrate at a desired site. The present invention facilitates the delivery of therapeutic/diagnostic agents or components of the immune system to particular cells in a selected organ or a specific site, and therefore, minimizes the potential harmful effect of the agents to the normal cells in the rest of the body.