Elastin-like polypeptides as thermally targeted drug carriers

Here, we present the tissue distribution of radiolabeled ELP carriers that were injected into athymic mice with implanted tumors (human glioma D54MG). We observed a two-fold increase in ELP accumulation when the tumor was heated versus unheated animals. Stringent controls show that the observed enhancement is largely caused by the phase transition of the ELP carrier. Ongoing optimization studies seek to determine the effect of ELP MW, concentration, and administration protocol on targeting efficiency.

Duke Scholars

Author Ashutosh Chilkoti Biomedical Engineering