Description:
- Novel protein-based targeted drug delivery strategy
- Potential application to treat several ocular disorders
- Uses biocompatible, biodegradable and less immunogenic ELP-1 polymers
Abstract
USC scientists genetically engineered elastin-like polypeptides (ELP), which assemble multivalent nanoparticles at physiological temperature. The innovation was validated in a mouse model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with the intra-vitreal administration of aB crystallin. The ELP causes the therapeutic agent to be retained in the vitreous capsule where it can protect for at least 2 weeks.
Benefit
Market Application
Market Opportunity:
The delivery of drugs into the eye has always been a challenge, and so far, a general process hasn’t been discovered. Solutions are more specific to a certain type of drug or specific ocular disorder. Ocular injections are burdensome, and patient acceptance is a challenge. Additionally, low molecular weight peptides tend to be cleared rapidly from the ocular compartments, demanding repeated injections.
Hence there is a need for a versatile vehicle that reliably delivers the active ingredient into the eye, while being compatible with a variety of small molecule or biopharmaceutical drugs, and usable for different diseases.
Applications:
- Therapeutic method for treating ocular diseases
- Intra-ocular drug delivery strategy
Publications
“J Control Release. 2018 Aug 10; 283: 94–104.
Other
Stage of Development:
- Tested in vitro and in vivo in mouse models
- Available for exclusive and non-exclusive license