Adeno-associated Virus (AVV) Development for Drug Delivery

CD Formulation specializes in the development of viral vector-based drug delivery systems. We can provide our clients with a range of high-quality adeno-associated virus vector construction, analytical testing, and safety assessment services.

What is Adeno-associated Virus?

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are non-integrating viral vectors (or with a very low percentage of genomic integration ability) that exist in a free-standing form after entering human cells and do not integrate into the host cell genome, reducing the associated risk and providing a good safety profile. Adeno-associated viruses are the simplest class of single-stranded DNA-deficient viruses with no envelope and a naked 20-sided particle shape. The scientific consensus is that they do not cause any human disease and can infect different target organs depending on the serum.

Development of Adeno-associated Virus

• Adeno-associated virus vector design services

The only viral sequence retained in the rAAV vector genome is the ITR, which is essential in guiding AAV replication and packaging its life cycle. A variety of therapeutic genes and modified DNA sequences can be inserted into the AAV genome to modify or control the replication, integration, tropism and immunogenicity of the AAV vector.

Vector design usually includes capsid design and genome design. rAAV capsids determine their unique histophilicity and host immunogenicity, and modification of capsids gives rAAV vectors new properties and advantages for different applications. rAAV genomes essentially contain ITRs-flanked gene expression cassettes, and genome modification or design can alter the reproductive capacity, infectivity and integration properties of rAAV vectors, infectivity and integration properties of rAAV vectors.

• Adeno-associated virus vector purification services

Purification of AAV vectors by gradient centrifugation and affinity chromatography analysis allows for shorter turnaround times and reproducible concentrations.

• Adeno-associated virus vector titration services

Based on CD Formulation's experience, we have developed specialized methods for in-depth analysis of AAV vector titers and candidate gene expression profiles, including infectivity titration analysis and genomic titration analysis.

• How to detect empty shell rate of adeno-associated virus vectors?

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) allows for accurate determination of the empty shell rate of product species AAV vectors based on the difference in settling coefficients between empty shell virus and whole virus particles, as well as detection of intermediates, viral vector fragments, genomic fragments, viral aggregates, etc.

• Safety assessment

CD Formulation provides clients with a full range of safety analysis and toxicity assessment of viruses to facilitate their use in drug delivery.

Applications of Adeno-associated Virus

In medical research, adeno-associated virus is used in the study of gene therapy for a variety of diseases (including in vivo and in vitro experiments); it is also widely used as a characteristic gene transfer vector for gene function studies, construction of disease models, and preparation of knockout mice. At least a dozen serotypes of AAV have been identified, which differ mainly in the coat protein Cap, thus leading to different infection efficiency of various serotypes of AAV to different tissues and cells.

CD Formulation provides services related to various AAV vectors, focusing on design, purification, titration testing, and safety assessment. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for a closer communication and learn how we can be involved in your project. If you need a service that is not on the list, please contact our team promptly and we will customize a solution for your project to help you quickly proceed with the development of virus-based vectors in the field of drug delivery.