Of the many advances of the vector, its ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) give rise to a many potential applications in the diagnosis and/or therapy of various central nervous system disorders. For example, the efficacy of current treatments of a wide range of CNS disorders, such as infectious disease, brain tumors, Parkinson's and Huntington's are limited to intravenous drug delivery mechanisms. Utilizing this novel mode of delivery, such limitation can be overcome allowing for direct drug delivery to the brain. In addition to targeting the cerebral hemisphere, the vector can be used to target other structures of the central nervous, such as the cerebellum and spinal cord which are also limited by the BBB.

Anti-cancer therapeutics and diagnostics are yet another plausible application for this multi-purpose vector. For example, the antigenic specificity of the vector allows it to directly target cancer cells overexpressing the transferring receptor. Such specificity will not only increase the delivery of anti-cancer agents, but it will decrease the toxicity of such drugs. Furthermore, the ability of the vector to deliver nucleic acids, give rise to many applications in gene therapies. The potential applications for a broad-spectrum delivery vector are of enormous significance in the pharmaceutical industry and our researches are continuously seeking other possibilities. In addition to its applications in CNS disorders and anti-cancers, the vector can be used in the treatment of bacterial infections. Many bacterial pathogens, such as Neisseria meningitidis, express high levels of transferrin receptor. By targeting the receptor, the bacterium can be eliminated. Lastly, if not utilized for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, the vector may serve as a powerful research tool for a variety of in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 2000-044