Tech Overview
Platelets preferentially adhere to disease tissues because there are physical, morphological, and functional differences between normal and tumor vasculature. Tumor associated vessels consist of sprouting, leaky structures to which platelets attach and trap their cargo in situ.
The platform has flexible proprietary Platelet Anchoring Ligands (PALs) that enable sequestration of compounds into different platelet alpha granules.
Multiple drugs can be stored simultaneously in platelets in separate compartments as Platelet Facilitated Drugs (PFDs).
Platelets concentrate in both primary & metastatic cancer sites, accumulate in disease vasculature, but not in healthy tissue
The platform utilizes tissue proteases and receptors PAR1 & 4 to enable sequential release of Platelet Facilitated Drugs (PFDs) at the target sites.
Advantages
- Platelets can transport, protect, and create a reservoir at cancer sites.
- Deploy multiple drugs anywhere in the body
- Precision biodistribution
- Up to 7 day drug half life
- Up to 90% lower doses
- Sustained drug release
- Transport virtually any compound
- PAL conjugation does not change the function of a drug
- PAL/drug conjugates are sequestered in platelet storage granules
- PAL/drug conjugates are delivered to the tumor site and internalized in cancer cells without affecting organs
- Significantly less drug is needed to achieve therapeutic effect compared to parent compound