MICRO- AND NANOSCALE DEVICES FOR DELIVERY OF ACTIVE FIBRONOLYTIC AGENTS

摘要

Disclosed are devices as may be used to deliver a fibrinolytic agent such as functional tPA to targeted sites. Disclosed devices include micro or nanosized particles as carriers of a fibrinolytic agent and a targeting polypeptide such as antifibrin antibody that specifically binds a component of a blood clot. A plurality of protein molecules can be bound to a single particle. In addition, the total number of protein molecules attached to each particle can be controlled as can the proportion of each different compound bound to a single particle. Disclosed devices can be utilized, for example, to deliver tPA to blood clots, for instance in postmyocardial infarction or ischemic stroke treatment, and can minimize systemic plasminemia compared to the use of free tPA.