Mass Production of Liposome for Cancer-Curing Gene Transfer

The gene carrier, which would be thousand times more expensive than gold, was developed by a domestic research team to enable a mass production.

Prof. Park Jong-Sang (Seoul National University, Dept. of Chemistry) declared that his research team succeeded in the mass production of the gene carrier substance `Ocol`, which delivers the curative gene into a human body. The ocol is a kind of liposome with ball-shaped lipid vesicles, which contain a curative gene to deliver into human body.

Prof. Park said that he developed `ocol` through 5-year-long study, and presented its result to `the U.S.`s Human Gene Therapy Society` in June. ``At that time, only a solid-form of liposome could be produced by mg-unit. But since then, we have succeeded to develop the liquid-form manufacturing method to produce by gram-unit in October.``The `ocol` will be produced and sold through the Micogen Co. which was established as a venture firm in Seoul National University.

The whole quantity of liposomes has been imported from the United States for domestic use. Its price is about 300,000 won per mg, which is thousands times more expensive than gold.

The gene therapy refers to a method to cure the genetic diseases such as diabetes and cancer by replacing the damaged genes for the normal genes. Hence, the research on the disease-causing gene should be accompanied by the development of a gene carrier, which delivers a curative gene into human body.

Prof. Park said, ``Ocol has an efficiency of gene transfer 20 times higher than that of the currently commercialized liposomes. And further it has an excellent ability to selectively transfer a curative gene to a cancer cell, so that it has a high use value.``