This technology is a drug delivery method that utilizes short TAT (trans-activating transcription factor) oligomers to deliver drug cargo across cell membranes.

Unmet Need: Targeted drug delivery to tumors and central nervous system tissues

Selectively targeting cancerous cells to minimize side effects remains a critical challenge in the development of effective cancer therapies. The blood-brain barrier poses an additional challenge to delivering drugs into central nervous system tissues. One promising approach that has recently been explored is the use of positively charged cell-penetrating peptides to target negatively charged cell surfaces, which is a characteristic feature of many cancer cells.

The Technology: TAT oligomers facilitate robust penetration of cell membranes

This technology demonstrates the use of short, positively charged TAT oligomers for more effective drug delivery targeted to negatively charged cancer cells. TAT peptides utilize cationic charge to penetrate across cell membranes, and readily cross the blood-brain barrier. TAT dimers demonstrate robust tumor-selective uptake at half the concentration of conventional TAT monomers.

This technology has been validated in a rat tumor model and in several brain tumor and metastatic cancer cell lines.

Applications:

Targeted drug delivery to solid tumors and cancerous cells
Targeted drug delivery to apoptotic cells in stroke
Targeted drug delivery to other negatively-charged cells
Delivery of drugs across the blood-brain barrier
Delivery of drugs across the blood-retina barrier

Advantages:

Robust penetration across blood-brain barrier
TAT dimers have superior uptake compared to monomers
Versatile delivery method can be applied to diverse drug cargos and a wide range of tumors
Compatible with large molecules, including biologics

Lead Inventor:

Shailendra Joshi, M.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending

Related Publications:

Joshi S, Cooke JRN, Ellis JA, Emala CW, Bruce JN. “Targeting brain tumors by intra-arterial delivery of cell-penetrating peptides: a hovel approach for primary and metastatic brain malignancy.” J Neurooncol. 2017 Dec;135(3):497-506.

Tech Ventures Reference:

IR CU17314
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik

Cell-penetrating TAT oligomers for drug delivery