Rearranged tt virus molecules for use in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer and autoimmunity
AssigneeDeutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Stiftung Des Offentlichen Rechtes
InventorsEthel-Michele De Villiers, Harald Zur Hausen
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Abstract
The present invention relates to rearranged molecules of (a) a specific TT virus sequence and (b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide showing homology to mammalian proteins associated with cancer and autoimmune diseases that are capable of replicating autonomously for use in diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases like cancer and autoimmunity.
Claims39
A rearranged TT virus polynucleic acid comprising
- (a) a nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 6;
- (b) a nucleotide sequence which shows at least 70% identity to a nucleotide sequence of (a) and is capable of replicating autonomously and/or inducing autonomous replication;
- (c) a fragment of a nucleotide sequence of (a) or (b) which is capable of replicating autonomously;
- (d) a nucleotide sequence which is the complement of the nucleotide sequence of (a), (b), or (c);
- or
- (e) a nucleotide sequence which is redundant as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code compared to any of the above-given nucleotide sequences.
A method of preventing or treating cancer or an autoimmune disease or early stages thereof.
A process for the in vitro replication and propagation of Torque teno viruses (TTV) comprising the following steps:
- (a) transfecting linearized TTV DNA into 293TT cells expressing high levels of SV40 large T antigen;
- (b) harvesting the cells and isolating cells showing the presence of TTV DNA;
- (c) culturing the cells obtained in step (b) for at least three days;
- and
- (d) harvesting the cells of step (c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.