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AssigneeCantab Pharmaceuticals Research Limited
InventorsMichael E. G. Boursnell, Stephen C. Inglis
Estimating the term…
A genetically disabled mutant virus has a genome which is defective in respect of a selected gene that is essential for the production of infectious new virus particles, and which carries heterologous genetic material encoding an immunomodulatory protein such as GM-CSF, IL-2, or others, such that the mutant virus can infect normal host cells and cause expression of immunomodulatory protein, but the mutant virus cannot cause production of infectious new virus particles except when the virus infects recombinant complementing host cells expressing a gene that provides the function of the essential viral gene; the site of insertion of the heterologous genetic material encoding the immunomodulatory protein preferably being at the site of the defect in the selected essential viral gene. Uses include prophylactic and therapeutic use in generating an immune response in a subject treated therewith; use in the preparation of an immunogen such as a vaccine for use in tumor therapy; use in the in-vitro expansion of (e.g. virus-specific) cytotoxic T cells; and therapeutic or prophylactic use in corrective gene therapy.
A process for treating a tumor in a mammalian subject, the process comprising:
A process for delivering a gene encoding GM-CSF to cells of a tumor in a mammalian subject and expressing said gene in said cells, wherein said process comprises:
A method of stimulating a local immune response against a tumor in a tumor-bearing mammalian subject, wherein said method comprises directly administering to said tumor a sufficient amount of a mutant herpesvirus which is defective in respect of a viral gene essential for production of infectious new virus particles and carries heterologous genetic material encoding GM-CSF, said heterologous genetic material being inserted at a site fromm which said essential herpesviral gene has been completely deleted, so that said mutant virus can infect normal host eclls to cause expression therein of GM-CSF, but cannot cause production of infecious new virus particles, wherein said administering stimulates the local immune response against said tumor in said subject, thereby inhibiting the growth of said tumor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.