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technologytumor targeting
While traditional cancer therapies affect the whole body, Tumor Targeting focuses on approaches that specifically infiltrate cancerous cells while leaving normal tissues unaffected.
Tumor Targeting
TM601 has been shown to specifically bind to a large number of tumor types and human tumor cell lines through a surface receptor that is over-expressed on tumor cells and endothelial cells. TM601 is then rapidly taken up by tumor cells. With the exception of endothelial cells, normal tissues and non-transformed cell lines do not bind TM601.
TM601 Non-Clinical Binding Specificity
| Immunohistochemical Staining | |
| Tissue Samples | % Positive (n) |
| Primary Brain Tumors | 98% (85) |
| Neuroectodermal Tumors | 91% (53) |
| Normal Human Tissues | 2% (42) |
The tumor specific binding capability of TM601 has also been demonstrated clinically in Phase 1 trial of 131I-TM601 administered systemically to patients with malignant solid tumors. In this study, tumor localization was seen in 10 cancer types, including: glioma, metastatic melanoma, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, transitional cell carcinoma, metastatic Paraganglioma, and Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma
TM601 also has a broad utility to target molecules such as fluorescent dyes, nanoparticles, cytotoxic drugs or siRNA into tumor cells. To date, we have successfully conjugated TM601 with a wide variety of anti-cancer agents to enable delivery specifically to the site of disease, limiting damage to adjacent tissue and minimizing systemic exposure of otherwise toxic payloads. In addition, academic labs have used recombinant chlorotoxin with the same peptide sequence as TM601 to show specific tumor targeting of conjugated nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes.
| TM601 Conjugates | Application | |
| TM601 (chlorotoxin) + | Iodine 131 | Multiple solid tumors |
|---|---|---|
| Iron oxide nanoparticles | Tumor targeting and MRI enhancement | |
| Iron oxide nanoparticles + Methotrexate | Tumor targeting and cell kill | |
| Iron oxide nanoparticles + NIR dye | Enhanced detection of tumor cells | |
| PEI-PEG polymer complexes with DNA | Non-viral gene vector delivery | |
| Polydextran polymer + Vincamycin pro-drug | Tumor targeting and cell kill | |
| PEG or Polydextran | Half-life extension | |
| Near-infrared dye | Intra-operative imaging of residual tumor | |
| 99m Tc, 64Cu, 123I, or 18F + fluorescent dye | Radiodiagnostic | |
For more information on publications related to this research, please click here.