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A new EBV-specific targeted agent which selectively kills cancer cells. This drug can also be traced by the fluorescent signal that can be used for cancer cells imaging.
About
Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is the only viral protein expressed in all EBV-infected cells. This invention is an EBNA1 targeting bio-probe that can effectively target EBNA1 to disrupt its cancerous activities and inhibit cancer cell growth. In addition, it can also emit fluorescent signals to show the presence of EBV-infected cells, and this can be used for imaging the EBV-associated cancers. The invention is the first known agent with a dual function that can accurately trace and image for the EBV-associated cancers while being a pinpointed therapeutic intervention at the same time.
Key Benefits
This invention is a new EBV-specific targeted agent which selectively kills cancer cells without affecting any normal cells. Other than providing a fast, simple and accurate detection for EBV-associated cancers, this invention shows a high efficacy at a low dose (less than 4mol/kg, ~92% cancer inhibition) toward cancer treatment.
Applications
This invention shed light to develop a new generation medical reagent that has both imaging function and anti-cancer activity. The specificity of this technology provides a crucial means in the accurate detection of EBV-associated cancers. More importantly, its anti-tumour ability provides inhibition in the cancer cells and thus reduces potential metastasis.