New Aid for AIDS - ICAP Ocean Tomo Announces Auction of a Keystone Patent for Cell Therapy Use of Modified Red Blood Cells for Treating Viral Diseases

CHICAGO, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Developed by inventor Lawrence F. Glaser and represented by ICAP Ocean Tomo, this technology will be auctioned off at ICAP Ocean Tomo's Spring 2011 Live IP Auction on March 31, 2011 in New York City.

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Key Characteristics & Benefits

This patent discloses the following:

• The use of genetically modified erythrocytes/red blood cells (RBC) for treating and preventing viral infections. Modified cells can also be generated through non-recombinant low-cost means, such as with ghosting techniques using mature patient or donor cells.
• A desired protein receptor/coreceptor may be introduced into precursor cells using a gene transfer technique, such as transfection, transduction, and gene gun. These modified precursor cells can then be cultured in a suitable environment to generate the desired erythrocyte having a specific protein receptor complex, used as a trap for treating a target viral infection.
• The disclosed erythrocytes comprise HIV receptors capable of mediating HIV entry into the modified cells. When these modified erythrocytes are administered to an HIV+ patient, the erythrocytes attract and absorb HIV, uncloaking each viral particle preventing further viral infection through direct depletion of viral load.
• The entrapped virus is subsequently degraded and deactivated within the erythrocytes, assuring entrapment.  Red Cells are eliminated through the natural cycle, Erythrophagocytosis, shown in research studies to completely disintegrate any payload.
• The modified erythrocytes can be prepared from the erythrocyte precursor cells isolated from peripheral blood, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or any other suitable source within the human body.  The non-recombinant method can be created from mature enucleated red cells.
• The disclosed erythrocyte receptors can be made with different protein sequences for treating and preventing various viral infections and other targets, or used preemptively to track any meaningful predictive drift in the target.
• Cells of the invention can be manufactured and sold now, for use as a new tool in labs, adding in other distinct features to enhance the reporter function.  
• The concept may cross over into other disease modalities, such as cancer or immune regulation.

Market Potential

This lot should be of interest to cell therapy organizations, biotechnology organizations, gene therapy organizations, healthcare service providers, pharmaceutical/drug manufacturers, and entities involved in medical research.

• The global HIV drug market was worth $9.3 billion in 2007 and is expected to grow to $15.1 billion by 2017. (1)
• The global drug market stands at about $880 Billion of which a significant portion is directly or indirectly intended for infectious disease treatment. (2)

About ICAP Ocean Tomo LLC

ICAP Ocean Tomo is the intellectual property brokerage division of ICAP and the world's premier patent auction firm.

About ICAP

ICAP is the world's premier interdealer broker and provider of post trade services. The Group matches buyers and sellers in the wholesale markets in interest rates, credit, commodities, foreign exchange, emerging markets, equities and equity derivatives through voice and electronic networks. ICAP plc was added to the FTSE 100 Index on 30 June 2006. For more information go to www.icap.com.

(1) http://www.eatg.org/eatg/Global-HIV-News/Pharma-Industry/HIV-drug-market-will-hit-15.1-billion-by-2017-but-competition-will-hot-up-too-New-research

(2) http://www.cphi-online.com/news/13036/Global+Pharmaceutical+Market+Growth+of+5-7%25+in+2011,+Reaching+$880+Billion.html

SOURCE ICAP Ocean Tomo