The development of efficient, cell surface targeted retroviral vectors is critical for successful gene therapy as gene delivery to non-target cells may be harmful and would deplete the pool of viral particles. To date, the only surface-targeting strategies that have allowed efficient infection by retroviral vectors in vivo are those that have limited the tropism of amphotropic murine leukaemia ...

In cancer imaging, nanoparticle biodistribution is typically visualized in living subjects using 'bulk' imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography and whole-body fluorescence. Accordingly, nanoparticle influx is observed only macroscopically, and the mechanisms by which they target cancer remain elusive. Nanoparticles are assumed to accumulate via several tar...

(2μm), anucleate, discoid-shaped living cells that play essential roles in vascular haemostasis, thrombosis and inflammation [1]. While platelets are primarily confined to blood vessels, they may also accumulate in tumour microenvironments where they modulate functions of both tumour and immune cells [1]. It is known that platelets gain access to tumour microenvironments by passive diffusion ac...

Recent advances in cancer research highlighted the importance of target-specific drug discovery. In view of these advances, the most important mechanism in tumour growth is its ability to stimulate the formation of blood capillaries around itself called tumour-driven angiogenesis. Hence targeting the angiogenesis, inhibits the growth of blood vessels around it and responsible for death of the t...

Macrophages’ role in the evolution of solid tumours is a well accepted fact, with M1-like macrophages having an anti-tumour and M2-like pro-tumour role. Despite fact that some clinical studies on lung have emphasised also presence mixed M1 M2 phenotypes addition to distinct phenotypes, majority still use M1-M2 classification predict patient survival. In this theoretical study we mathematical mo...

BACKGROUND Monoclonal antibodies have been employed as targeting molecules of superantigen for the preclinical treatment of a variety of tumours. However, other targeting molecules, such as tumour-related ligands or peptides, are less exploited. Here, we tested other targeting molecules by genetically fusing the third loop of transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalphaL3) to mutant staphylococca...