A New Strategy to Deliver Synthetic Protein Drugs: Self-reproducible Biologics Using Minicircles

作者：Yi Hyoju; Kim Youngkyun; Kim Juryun; Jung Hyerin; Rim Yeri Alice; Jung Seung Min; Park Sung Hwan; Ju Ji Hyeon^*

来源：Scientific Reports, 2014, 4(1): 5961.

DOI：10.1038/srep05961

Biologics are the most successful drugs used in anticytokine therapy. However, they remain partially unsuccessful because of the elevated cost of their synthesis and purification. Development of novel biologics has also been hampered by the high cost. Biologics are made of protein components; thus, theoretically, they can be produced in vivo. Here we tried to invent a novel strategy to allow the production of synthetic drugs in vivo by the host itself. The recombinant minicircles encoding etanercept or tocilizumab, which are synthesized currently by pharmaceutical companies, were injected intravenously into animal models. Self-reproduced etanercept and tocilizumab were detected in the serum of mice. Moreover, arthritis subsided in mice that were injected with minicircle vectors carrying biologics. Self-reproducible biologics need neither factory facilities for drug production nor clinical processes, such as frequent drug injection. Although this novel strategy is in its very early conceptual stage, it seems to represent a potential alternative method for the delivery of biologics.

• 出版日期2014-8-5