COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR CANCER TREATMENT USING TARGETED SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES
First Claim
1. A method of treating a cancer tumor or cancer cells in a patient, comprising:
- providing a composition comprising a protein-carbon nanotube complex comprising a protein or peptide operatively attached to a carbon nanotube, wherein the protein or peptide of the protein-carbon nanotube complex comprises a binding protein or peptide that has binding specific for an external receptor or binding site on a tumor vasculature endothelial cell or on a cancer cell;
administering the composition comprising the protein-carbon nanotube complex to the patient wherein the protein-carbon nanotube complex preferentially binds via the binding protein or peptide to the external receptor or binding site on an outer surface of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature of the cancer tumor or on an outer surface of the cancer cell in the patient;
exposing the patient to electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength absorbable by the carbon nanotube causing elevation of the temperature of the carbon nanotube of the protein-carbon nanotube complex to a temperature which induces damage or death of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature or of the cancer cell to which the protein-carbon nanotube complex is bound; and
administering to the patient an immunostimulant to enhance the patient'"'"'s immune response to antigens released from the cancer cells or tumor vasculature endothelial cells.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method for detecting and destroying cancer tumors. The method is based on the concept of associating a linking protein or linking peptide such as, but not limited to, annexin V or other annexins to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) to form a protein-SWNT complex. Said linking protein or peptide can selectively bind to cancerous cells, especially tumor vasculature endothelial cells, rather than to healthy ones by binding to cancer-specific external receptors such as anionic phospholipids including phosphatidylserine expressed on the outer surfaces of cancer cells only. Irradiation of bound SWNTs with one or more specific electromagnetic wavelengths is then used to detect and destroy those cells to which the SWNTs are bound via the linking protein or peptide thereby destroying the tumor or cancer cells and preferably an immunostimulant is provided to the patient to enhance the immune response against antigens released from the tumor or cancer cells.
13 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of treating a cancer tumor or cancer cells in a patient, comprising:
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providing a composition comprising a protein-carbon nanotube complex comprising a protein or peptide operatively attached to a carbon nanotube, wherein the protein or peptide of the protein-carbon nanotube complex comprises a binding protein or peptide that has binding specific for an external receptor or binding site on a tumor vasculature endothelial cell or on a cancer cell; administering the composition comprising the protein-carbon nanotube complex to the patient wherein the protein-carbon nanotube complex preferentially binds via the binding protein or peptide to the external receptor or binding site on an outer surface of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature of the cancer tumor or on an outer surface of the cancer cell in the patient; exposing the patient to electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength absorbable by the carbon nanotube causing elevation of the temperature of the carbon nanotube of the protein-carbon nanotube complex to a temperature which induces damage or death of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature or of the cancer cell to which the protein-carbon nanotube complex is bound; and administering to the patient an immunostimulant to enhance the patient'"'"'s immune response to antigens released from the cancer cells or tumor vasculature endothelial cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of treating a cancer tumor or cancer cells in a patient, comprising:
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providing a protein-carbon nanotube complex comprising a carbon nanotube having bound thereto a protein or peptide which binds with high specificity to at least one of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, or phosphatidylglycerol; administering the protein-carbon nanotube complex to the patient wherein the protein-carbon nanotube complex preferentially binds to phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, or phosphatidylglycerol expressed on an outer surface of an endothelial cell of a vasculature of the cancer tumor or on an outer surface of the cancer cell in the patient; exposing the patient to electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength absorbable by the carbon nanotube of the protein-carbon nanotube complex causing elevation of the temperature of the carbon nanotube of the protein-carbon nanotube complex to a temperature which induces damage or death of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature or of the cancer cell to which the protein-carbon nanotube complex is bound; and administering to the patient an immunostimulant to enhance the patient'"'"'s immune response to antigens released from the cancer cells or tumor vasculature endothelial cells. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A carbon nanotube composition, comprising:
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a protein-carbon nanotube complex comprising a protein or peptide operatively attached to a carbon nanotube, wherein the protein or peptide of the protein-carbon nanotube complex comprises a binding protein or peptide that has binding specific for an external receptor or binding site on a tumor vasculature endothelial cell or on a cancer cell and wherein when a subject to which the composition has been administered is exposed to a light wavelength absorbable by the carbon nanotube, the temperature of the carbon nanotube of the protein-carbon nanotube complex is caused to be elevated to a temperature which induces damage or death of the endothelial cell of the tumor vasculature or of the cancer cell to which the protein-carbon nanotube complex is bound; and an immunostimulant for enhancing in the subject to whom the carbon nanotube composition is administered an immune response to antigens released from the cancer cells or tumor vasculature endothelial cells.
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Specification