Selective killing and diagnosis of p53+ neoplastic cells

• Main Authors: ADAM SAMPSON-JOHANNES, DAVID KIRN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.08.2002
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ORMEDICINAL PREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; TESTING; VINEGAR; WINE

Methods and compositions for treating and diagnosing neoplastic disease using viruses are provided. Preferably, mutant adenovirus lacking viral proteins which bind and/or inactivate p53 are administered to a patient having a neoplasm which comprises cells exhibiting p53 and lacking, or substantially devoid of mismatch repair activity. The mutant virus is able to substantially produce a replication phenotype in such neoplastic cells but is substantially unable to produce a replication phenotype in non-replicating, non-neoplastic cells having essentially normal p53 function. The preferential generation of a replication phenotype in neoplastic cells results in a preferential killing of the neoplastic cells, either directly or by expression of a cytotoxic gene in cells expressing a viral replication phenotype.