Viral vectors for cell therapy

Abstract

This disclosure provides, among other things, a recombinant nucleic acid comprising, in order from 5′ to 3′: (a) a first promoter, (b) a first coding sequence, wherein the first coding sequence encodes an therapeutic protein and is operably linked to the first promoter, (c) a second promoter; and (d) a second coding sequence, wherein the second coding sequence encodes a binding triggered transcriptional switch (BTTS) that is activated by binding to a cell surface antigen or protein in the extracellular matrix and is operably linked to the second promoter. Binding of the expressed BTTS to an antigen on the surface of a target cell or protein in the extracellular matrix activates expression of the therapeutic protein by the cytotoxic immune cell. Methods of treating various diseases, e.g., cancer, are also provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.