Adenoviral vectors with reduced TNF response and partial E3 region deletion

A vector comprising:

• a DNA sequence encoding an adenovirus genome from which the E1a coding region has been deleted, wherein said DNA sequence comprises a deletion in the E3 coding region, but retains that portion of the E3 coding region which encodes the 14.7 kD proteins such that expression of the 14.7 kD protein reduces a TNF response to a host cell infected with said adenoviral DNA sequence.

An isolated mammalian cell exhibiting a reduced TNF response, wherein the cell comprises a vector which itself comprises a DNA sequence encoding an adenovirus genome from which the E1a promoter has been deleted and a deletion in the E3 coding region, but retains a portion of the E3 coding region that encodes the 14.7 kD proteins such that expression of the 14.7 kD protein reduces a TNF response to a host cell infected with said adenoviral DNA.

A vector comprising:

• a replication-defective adenovirus comprising a DNA sequence encoding an adenovirus genome which comprises a deletion of at least the E1a coding region, where said DNA sequence comprises at least one further deletion in a non-essential region, but wherein said DNA sequence retains a portion of the E3 coding region that encodes a functional 14.7 kD protein such that expression of the 14.7 kD protein reduces a TNF response to a host cell infected with said vector.

A vector comprising:

• DNA sequences from one or more adenovirus genomes, from which at least the E1 region, including the E1a promoter, is lacking, and which comprises a fragment of the E3 coding region that encodes the 14.7 kD protein such that when the 14.7 kD protein is expressed the TNF response to a mammalian cell comprising said vector is reduced.

An adenoviral vector comprising:

• a DNA sequence encoding an adenovirus genome from which at least all of the E3 coding region except for that portion of E3 which encodes the 14.7 kD protein, has been deleted and from which at least the E1a promoter has been deleted, wherein expression of the 14.7 kD protein results in decrease in the TNF response to host cell comprising said vector.

An adenoviral vector comprising:

• a DNA sequence encoding an adenovirus genome from which at least all of the E3 coding region except for that portion of E3 which encodes the 14.7 kD protein, has been deleted and from which at least the E1 region has been deleted, wherein expression of the 14.7 kD protein results in decrease in the TNF response to host cell comprising said vector.