LIPOSOME-MEDIATED TRANSFECTION OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CELLS

 

Introduction:  The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) has patented a method to rescue neurofilament proteins following traumatic brain injury (TBI) by utilizing a liposome-mediated delivery of neurotrophic factors to stimulate nervous system cell repair and regeneration.

According to the Center for Disease Control, at least 1.4 million people sustain a TBI each year in the United States. Of these, about 50,000 die, 250,000 are hospitalized and 1.1million are treated and released from emergency departments. Those who survive the initial trauma must fight the risk of the secondary effects from brain injury, which include the loss of brain cells due to increased brain edema, uncontrollable intracranial pressure, production of free radicals and toxic molecules, and the loss of neurofilament proteins following injury. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, TBI can also increase the risk of other brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

It is widely recognized that the delivery of neurotrophins to the central nervous system enhances the recovery of brain cells following trauma to the brain and spinal cord. However, the rapid protein degradation and the presence of blood-brain barrier have significantly limited the routes for administration of neurotrophins. Therefore, a new method capable of promoting nervous system cell repair and regeneration by increasing the expression of neurotrophins would represent a significant improvement in the treatment of central nervous system injury.

The Technology: The technology available from UTHSC-H rescues neurofilament loss due to TBI by increasing the availability of neurotrophins. Specifically, this method utilizes a liposome delivery system to administer the neurotrophins, nerve growth factor, and brain-derived nerve growth factor. This technology could prove to be of great value in the treatment of all patients presenting head trauma, spinal cord injury, stroke, or other disease of the central nervous system.

NON-CONFIDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

The preceding is intended to be a non-confidential summary of a novel technology created at the University of Texas Health Science center at Houston (UTHSCH), for which the University has obtained patent protection. 

UTHSCH Ref. No.

Inventors: R. Hayes, K. Yang, F. Faustinella

Patent Status: Issued U.S. Patent No. 6,096,716

License Available: world-wide; exclusive or non-exclusive

 

To obtain further information about this technology, please contact:
Office of Technology Management, 7000 Fannin, Suite 720, Houston, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 500-3369  Fax: (713) 500-0331
Email: uthsch-otm@uth.tmc.edu