Oncolytic viruses targeting STAT3
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
InventorsStephen Howard Thorne, Daniel J. Byrd
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to modified viruses, e.g., oncolytic vaccinia viruses, which have been modified to contain an exogenous nucleic acid that expresses a protein that modulates STAT3 activity. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that vaccinia viruses modified to contain nucleic acid encoding PIAS3 and that express PIAS3 or a fragment thereof can inhibit STAT3 activity and enhance the anti-cancer activity of the vaccinia virus. Accordingly, this disclosure provides for oncolytic vaccinia viruses and methods of using them in the treatment of cancers.
Claims20
A virus comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a protein or a fragment thereof that modulates STAT3-mediated gene expression, wherein the protein or the fragment thereof is a PIAS3 protein or a fragment thereof, wherein the virus comprises an oncolytic vaccinia virus.
A virus comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a protein or a fragment thereof that modulates STAT3-mediated gene expression, wherein the protein or the fragment thereof is a PIAS3 protein or a fragment thereof,
- wherein the exogenous nucleic acid further encodes a cell-penetrating protein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.