About the Invention

In 1998, Health Canada approved a breakthrough cancer treatment developed by Dr. Terry Allen. The treatment is based on Stealth technology which uses Liposomes developed by Dr. Allen to carry chemotherapy drugs. Brand named Caelyx, lipsosomol doxorubicin is a new therapy for Kaposi's Sarcoma (cancer in the skin or under the mucous membranes under the mouth, eyes, or nose), a cancer found more commonly in people living with AIDS.

Liposomes are microscopic lipid spheres (like tiny soap bubbles) that can be filled with a drug(s) and then injected into the blood stream where they deliver their contents to selected destinations in the body. In this case, Liposomes carry doxorubicin.

First invented in 1960, the earlier Liposomes had a major drawback - they were seen by the body as a foreign invader. The body's immune system kicked in, removing the Liposomes from the blood stream before they could do their job.

In the early 1990's, Dr. Terry Allen invented a new type of Liposome with the outer membrane composed of a different structure. This modification gave Liposomes similar characteristics to the cells in the body, such as red blood cells, preventing the Liposomes from being rejected as a foreign element. The name given to this new product illustrates its new ability – "Stealth," like the bomber that can avoid radar detection in the air.

Since the body's immune system no longer kicks in, the drugs that the Stealth Liposomes carry are delivered where they are needed. The Stealth Liposomes disguise themselves as water and only break down when they have reached their target: a tumor and its leaky blood vessels. As a result the debilitating side-effects associated with other chemotherapies are reduced, while the effectiveness of the drug is increased.

This is another way of looking at things in the fight against cancer. Dr. Allen says, "Most people think 'Oh, we have to discover another new drug.' We decided to take an existing anti-cancer drug and find a new way of delivering it."

Stealth technology has far-reaching implications. Other anti-cancer drugs are being investigated for use in this delivery method and Stealth technology can be used in gene therapy.

About the Inventor

Dr. Terry Allen was born in Bellville, Ontario and now lives and works in Alberta. In her career, she has concentrated on ways to make drugs more effective and in the discovery of new drugs. She is very quick to point out that science is never done by an individual, but by a team often sharing ideas. Dr. Allen's colleague's names also appear on the 8 or 9 patents that have been awarded to Terry on a wide range of products from an anti-asthma drug to marine natural products.

As a scientist and a researcher, Dr. Allen believes that discovery favours the prepared and open mind. She speaks of serendipity as an important element in scientific discovery. Serendipity describes the gift of being able to make delightful discoveries by pure accident. As Dr. Allen says, "Most of the best discoveries were made by serendipity. Discoveries can't be forced; they come when you put two different ideas together." Dr. Allen also believes that one discovery leads to another. The discovery that Liposomes could be disguised opened the door to a number of other discoveries.

Dr. Allen has received the support of her colleagues, various granting agencies as well as the Canadian government. She is recognized internationally and now has the credibility to pursue other ideas, building on her past successes.