Delivering The Goods To Tackle Virus Infection

摘要

A dendrimer that delivers antibodies into cells has potential for infectious disease treatment, say US scientists. Eva Harth, Peter Wright and colleagues, of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, developed the macromolecular antibody carriers to treat virus-infected cells.rnIn the body, antibodies identify foreign objects such as viruses so that they can be recognised by the immune system. Harth used an antibody specific for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and attached it to a dendrimer by swapping it for a removable pyridinyldithio group. 'The preparation of the bioconjugates is very practical because of this exchange reaction and does not require additional reagents. It could be provided as a reaction kit, suitable to be used by any scientist,' says Harth. The disulfide bonds formed between the antibody and dendrimer are cleavable inside the cells and release the antibody in the biologically active state.