DELIVERING FUNCTIONAL NUCLEIC ACIDS TO MAMMALIAN CELLS VIA BACTERIALLY-DERIVED, INTACT MINICELLS

摘要

Intact bacterially derived minicells containing functional nucleic acids or plasmids encoding functional nucleic acids can reduce, in targeted mammalian cells, drug resistance, apoptosis resistance, and neoplasticity, respectively. Methodology that employs minicells to deliver functional nucleic acids, targeting the transcripts of proteins that contribute to drug resistance or apoptosis resistance, inter alia, can be combined with chemotherapy to increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapy.

主权项

1. A composition comprising:
(a) an intact, bacterially derived minicell that comprises (i) a functional nucleic acid molecule or (ii) a plasmid comprising a segment that encodes a functional nucleic acid molecule, wherein the functional nucleic acid molecule targets the transcript of a protein that contributes to apoptosis resistance or resistance to a chemotherapeutic drug, and (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier therefore, and wherein upon administration the minicell is engulfed by a mammalian cell and releases the functional nucleic acid into the cytoplasm of the cell.