Dr Premlata Shankar, from the Center of Excellence of Infectious Disease Research at Texas Tech University, will use Bioo Therapeutics' T3 technology for the targeted delivery of siRNA into T cells.
Dr Shankar has already used RNAi to suppress HIV infections in mice, by knocking down three key genes to prevent the HIV infection from spreading.
Bioo Scientific's T3 Technology will allow Dr Shankar to precisely target the delivery of siRNAs in vivo into T-cells, although it can be used to target any cell type.
The T3 Technology functions by conjugating an RNAi agent carrier to a monoclonal antibody to produce a conjugate, which is then loaded with an RNAi agent such as siRNA or miRNA molecules.
The RNAi agent-loaded conjugate is administered to an animal, where it binds to and is internalised by cells recognised by the monoclonal antibody.
The RNAi agent is then released to reduce the expression of its intended target.
T3 technology can propel the validation of animal experimentation, leading to a better understanding of cellular pathways, the identification of novel drug targets and the ability to more efficiently deliver RNAi agents as drugs.
