20.109:Module 4 Research Proposal

Project Overview
We propose a novel method of delivering pharmacological agents, such as chemotherapeutic compounds, to cancer cells through specific targeting by an adenovirus. We aim to functionalize viruses with antibodies or other targeting methods such that they specifically infect cancer cells and deliver the attached pharmacological cargo.

Cancer

 * Cancer is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world.
 * A major obstacle is cancer treatment is the lack of specificity - drugs attack cancerous cells, but they attack healthy cells as well
 * Tumor cells over-express certain cell surface receptors, and many antibodies have been developed against a wide array of these receptors (e.g. CD25 in T cell lymphoma and CD22 in B cell lymphoma)

Viruses

 * Huge variety - can infect all living things

Predicted Outcomes
If all goes well, our virus should be able to deliver cancer drugs specifically to cancerous cells.