Intracellular delivery vehicles
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsDaniel A. Portnoy, Darren E. Higgins
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and compositions relating to intracellular delivering of agents to eukaryotic cells. The compositions include microbial delivery vehicles such as nonvirulent bacteria comprising a first gene encoding a nonsecreted foreign cytolysin operably linked to a heterologous promoter and a second gene encoding a different foreign agent. The foreign agent may be a nucleic acid or protein, and is frequently bioactive in and therapeutic to the target eukaryote. In addition, the invention provides eukaryotic cells comprising the subject nonvirulent bacteria and nonhuman eukaryotic host organisms comprising such cells.
Claims18
A method of introducing a foreign agent into a eukaryotic cell comprising the step of:
- contacting the cell with a nonvirulent bacterium comprising a first gene encoding a nonsecreted foreign functional cytolysin operably linked to a heterologous promoter which expresses the cytolysin in the bacterium, and a second gene encoding a foreign therapeutic agent, different than the cytolysin, under conditions whereby the therapeutic agent enters the cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.