Pseudocells As Targeted Delivery Vector
Building medical technology from biological components is the new black, and a great deal of very inventive work is presently taking place out there in the world. From the New Scientist, here is one that continues the cellular micromachine theme: "When bacteria divide, they normally do so at their centres. But [researchers] have found a way of forcing them to divide at their ends, producing small buds of cytoplasm each time. They have also discovered that a range of different drugs could be packaged into these particles. These 'mini bacteria', or EnGeneIC Delivery Vehicles (EDVs) as the company has dubbed them, are cheap and easy to produce, and can be used as targeted drug delivery vehicles. ... They look like bacteria but they have no chromosomes and are non-living. And because they have a rigid membrane they don't break down when injected, so they carry their payload happily to the target site ... The EDVs are able to selectively target different tissues thanks to [antibodies] attached to their surface." Hopefully we all recall just how revolutionary good targeting technologies are in medicine - they will be the difference between life and death for millions every year.
Link: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11797-minicells-could-stop-sideeffects-of-chemotherapy-.html