Drug delivery systems (DDS) are being developed in order to achieve reduction in undesired side effects and to increase therapeutic efficacy of a drug by controlling its biological disposition in the body.  A new type of PEG-immunoliposomes, so-called Ninjya liposomes, were developed in our laboatory.   This was achieved by the use of functionalized PEG derivatives to couple transferrin (TF) directly to the distal terminal of PEG chains incorporated in liposomes.  TF-PEG-liposomes can deliver anti-cancer drug into the cytoplasm of tumor cells via TF receptor-mediated endocytosis after extravasation by the EPR effect in vivo.  In gene therapy, it is important to develop the easy, safe, efficient and minimally-invasive technologies of gene transfer into target tissue and cell.  We developed novel liposomal bubbles (Bubble liposomes) containing the ultrasound imaging gas, perfluoropropane, and found that the combination of Bubble liposomes and ultrasound was a good non-viral vector system in gene therapy.  We are now developing the THERANOSTICS which can diagnosis and therapy at same time, based on these liposomal technologies.

Intracellular targeting delivery of drugs to solid tumors based on EPR effects

1. Effective anti-tumor activity of Oxaliplatin encapsulated in transferrin-PEG-liposome.  
2. Tumor-specific targeting of sodium borocaptate (BSH) to malignant glioma by transferrin-PEG liposomes: a modality for boron neutron capture therapy. 

New approaches by Bubble liposome and ultrasound

1. Effective gene delivery with liposomal bubbles and ultrasound as novel non-viral system
2. Delivery of siRNA into the cytoplasm by liposomal bubbles and ultrasound
3. Bubble liposome and ultrasound for antigen delivery in dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy   
4. Accelerating effects of ultrasonic thrombolysis with bubble liposomes