COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AGENTS ACROSS CELLULAR BARRIERS

摘要

Disclosed herein are complexes and compounds that pass through cellular barriers to deliver compounds into, through and out of cells, and methods of producing and using such complexes and compounds. The complexes and compound s of the invention comprise a biologically active portion and a targeting element directed to a ligand that confers transcellular, transcytotic or paracellular transporting properties to an agent specifically bound to the ligand, with the proviso that the targeting element is not an antibody. Also disclosed are complexes and compounds that comprise two or more targeting elements directed to a ligand that confers transcellular, transcytotic or paracellular transporting properties to an agent specifically bound to the ligand. Preferred ligands include but are not limited to the stalk of pIgR, a pIgR domain, an amino acid sequence that is conserved among pIgR's from different animals, and one of several regions of pIgR defined herein.