Specialists from Sechenov University have created an innovative technology that allows safe repeated administration of gene therapy drugs, minimizing the risk of their neutralization by the immune system. Gene therapy drugs are drugs that are used to treat diseases by introducing, modifying, or removing genetic material in the patient's cells.
According to Dmitry Kostyushev, Head of the Laboratory of Genetic Technologies at the Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Transmissible Diseases named after E. I. Martsinovsky, gene therapy drugs are traditionally intended for single use. Each new administration reduces the effectiveness of treatment due to the rapid formation of an immune response to viral vectors.
Scientists have developed a technology for bio-camouflage of viruses using cell membranes, which finally solves the problem of the ineffectiveness of gene therapy drugs upon repeated administration. Screening helps the viral vector to be invisible to antibodies, which allows it to effectively deliver therapeutic genes to the desired organ, where it is necessary to restore the function of a defective gene.
The technology is suitable for all viral vectors based on adeno-associated viruses (AAV), which are used in most existing gene therapy drugs. The new development will open up opportunities for full-fledged repeated gene therapy, which is especially important for diseases requiring long-term or lifelong treatment, scientists say. According to them, it will also significantly reduce the cost of therapy, as it will save the need to create new vectors for each repeated administration.
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