The search for clinically useful genes, anti-sense RNA and other nucleic acid products is a huge challenge in the field of biotechnology. However, even when the most useful have been identified, the safe effective delivery of nucleic acids to their working targets in cells is a equally daunting challenge.
In some scenarios, desirable therapeutic genes are delivered by viral vectors. However this adds the risk of controlling a specially selected or modified virus. By designing purely synthetic vectors based on its ferrite and tripartite technologies, MSI has targeted somatic gene therapy for neurologic disorders.
Nanoscale ElectroCeramics
Nanoscale ElectroCeramics – Fundamental Building Block of Biomedical Nanotechnology: Molecular Synthetics has pioneered a key fundamental building block of biomedical nanotechnology – the Hydroxide Free Ferrite. This is a spinel type crystal with Iron2+ and Iron3+ atoms imbedded in a dense rigid Oxygen matrix to create an extraodinarily stable electroceramic nanoparticle.
The particles are produced in the size range of around 10 nanometers, have powerful superparamagnetic properties, are coated with dextran, and are fully water soluble and biologically tolerable. The A and B sites may be substituted with other elements to achieve various desired effects.
The particles can be conjugated to targeting proteins and can be activated at a distance by magnetic or radiofrequency fields. They can carry stably included therapeutic elements, radionuclides for local brachytherapy, and for imaging. They remain dissolved when centrifuged, but become fully immobilized in polymerized hydrogels.
Tripartite Vehicles
Design and Assembly of Tripartite Drug Delivery Vehicles: Tripartite drug vehicles include a targeting component (blue spheres) called an axonal transport facilitator (ATF), a long chain polymer such as dextran (red molecular chain), and numerous drug molecules attached to the polymer (yellow molecules). The drawing represents carriers wich actually can carry more than a hundred drug molecules in each tripartite complex. Design of the targeting compounds is based on Molecular Synthetics breakthrough discovery technology.