Methods to position therapeutic agents using a magnetic field
A system for controlling the location of a therapeutic agent administered to a mammal is provided. The system employs a device that is capable of generating a magnetic field and a therapeutic agent labeled with a magnetically responsive moiety. Methods which employ the device and the therapeutic agent are also provided.
1. A method to enhance the efficacy of engraftment of cells, comprising:
administering to a mammal in need of therapy a composition comprising donor cells for engraftment to an injured region which cells are associated with a complex which comprises a force responsive moiety that is responsive to a magnetic field; and
applying a magnetic field to the mammal from an implantable magnetic field generating device in the mammal, which device is on the epicardium near the injured region, in an amount and for a time effective to increase the engraftment of the cells at the injured region, wherein the implantable magnetic field generating device is coupled to an implantable medical device including a field controller adapted to control the generation of the magnetic field which includes a field generation timer adapted to time one or more predetermined durations during which the magnetic field is generated with a predetermined duty cycle.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the donor cells comprise magnetic nanoparticles.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the donor cells are bound to antibodies comprising the force responsive moiety.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the donor cells comprise stem cells.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the force responsive moiety comprises a metal.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the complex comprises an antibody.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the antibody binds Sca-1 or c-Kit.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises a liposome.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises a force responsive moiety that is a magnetodendrimer.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the complex comprises a nanoparticle.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the complex comprises a cell surface receptor ligand.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the donor cells comprise an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to an open reading frame encoding a force responsive gene product.