Chiron Corporation

Immusol, Incorporated

Chiron Viagene, Inc.

University of California

Oxford Biomedica (uk) Limited

Jack R Barber

Douglas J Jolly

James G Respess

Harry E Gruber

Richard Tritz

Peter J Welch

Mang Yu

Sunil D Chada

Stephen M Chang

Soonpin Yei

Paul K Laikind

Stephen M W Chang

Markley C Leavitt

John F Warner

Daniel C St Louis

Theodore Friedmann

Jiing-Kuan Yee

Mordechai Bodner

Yu Feng

Caty E DeJesus

Nobuhiko Emi

Martin Kruger

Elizabeth Duarte

The invention described herein allows the production of recombinant retroviruses (retroviral vector particles) from producer cells which are safer and of higher titer than normal. In addition, methods are provided for making helper cells which, when a recombinant retrovirus genome is introduced to make a producer line, produce particles that are targeted toward particular cell types. Methods are also provided for making recombinant retrovirus systems adapted to infect a particular cell type, such as a tumor, by binding the retrovirus or recombinant retrovirus in the particular cell type. Methods are also provided for producing recombinant retroviruses which integrate in a specific small number of places in the host genome, and for producing recombinant retroviruses from transgenic animals.

Packaging cells

A method of identifying a compound that modulates the activity of a cellular regulator is provided. The method consists of contacting a sample containing a cellular regulator and a nucleic acid element acted on by the cellular regulator with a test compound under conditions that allow replication or expression of the nucleic acid element or a gene or mRNA operatively linked to the nucleic acid element or gene, and an increase or decrease in the amount of replication or expression in the presence of the test compound compared to the absence of the test compound indicates that the compound has cellular regulator modulatory activity. A method of treating a HCV infection is also provided.

Cellular regulators of infectious agents and methods of use

The invention provides substantially pure tumor suppressor nucleic acid molecules and tumor suppressor polypeptides. The invention also provides hairpin ribozymes and antibodies selective for these tumor suppressor molecules. Also provided are methods of detecting a neoplastic cell in a sample using detectable agents specific for the tumor suppressor nucleic acids and polypeptides.

Tumor suppressor molecules and methods of use

The present invention provides a hairpin ribozyme library having a randomized recognition sequence, packaged in a vector and operably linked to a promoter suitable for high level expression in a wide variety of cells. The invention comprises using the library in a variety of selection protocols for identifying, isolating and characterizing known or unknown target RNAs, to reveal the phenotypic effects of such cleavage, and to identify the gene products that produce those phenotypic effects.

Gene functional analysis and discovery using randomized or target-specific ribozyme gene vector libraries

The present invention provides recombinant viral vectors carrying a vector construct which directs the expression of a gene product (e.g., HSVTK) that activates a compound with little or no cytotoxicity into a toxic product. Also provided are methods of destroying or inhibiting pathogenic agents in a warm blooded animal, comprising the step of administering to the animal a viral vector such as that described above, in order to inhibit or destroy the pathogenic agent.

Producer cell that generates adenoviral vectors encoding a cytokine and a conditionally lethal gene

The present invention provides recombinant viral vectors carrying a vector construct which directs the expression of a gene product (eg. HSVTK) that activates a compound with little or no cytotoxicity into a toxic product. Also provided are methods of destroying or inhibiting pathogenic agents in a warm blooded animal, comprising the step of administering to the animal a viral vector such as that described above, in order to inhibit or destroy the pathogenic agent.

Adenoviral vectors encoding a cytokine and a conditionally lethal gene

This invention provides ribozymes useful to treat or prevent Hepatitis C Virus (&ldquo;HCV&rdquo;) infection or disease in an organism or subject, as well as methods of treating an HCV infection or disease. Reagents such as vectors, host cells, DNA molecules coding for these ribozymes usefull in methods of treatment and prevention of HCV infection or disease are also provided.

Hepatitis C Virus ribozymes

Recombinant retroviruses carrying a vector construct capable of preventing, inhibiting, stabilizing or reversing infectious, cancerous or auto-immune diseases are disclosed. More specifically, the recombinant retroviruses of the present invention are useful for (a) stimulating a specific immune response to an antigen or a pathogenic antigen; (b) inhibiting a function of a pathogenic agent, such as a virus; and (c) inhibiting the interaction of an agent with a host cell receptor. In addition, eucaryotic cells infected with, and pharmaceutical compositions containing such a recombinant retrovirus are disclosed. Various methods for producing recombinant retroviruses having unique characteristics, and methods for producing transgenic packaging animals or insects are also disclosed.

Method for inhibiting human tumor cells

The present invention provides methods for inhibiting the growth of selected tumors utilizing recombinant viral vectors. Briefly, within one aspect of the present invention, a method for inhibiting the growth of a selected tumor is provided comprising the step of directly administering to a warm-blooded animal a vector construct which directs the expression of at least one anti-tumor agent, such that the growth of said tumor is inhibited. Representative examples of anti-tumor agents include immune activators and tumor proliferation inhibitors.

Compositions and methods for cancer immunotherapy

Method for treating brain cancer with a conditionally lethal gene

This invention provides ribozymes useful to treat or prevent Hepatitis C Virus ('HCV') infection or disease in an organism or subject, as well as methods of treating an HCV infection or disease. Reagents such as vectors, host cells, DNA molecules coding for these ribozymes useful in methods of treatment and prevention of HCV infection or disease are also provided.

Hepatitis C virus ribozymes

Method for treating a metastatic carcinoma using a conditionally lethal

Methods of inhibiting HIV infection by blocking HIV co-receptor RNA expression are provided. Ribozymes which cleave HIV co-receptor RNA and inhibit HIV infection of cells are also provided. Co-receptor targets include fusin and CKR5.

Methods and compositions for inhibiting HIV infection of cells by

Method for making reflection defective retroviral vectors for infecting

An enveloped vector particle contains gag and pol proteins from a retrovirus, a nucleic acid sequence and an envelope that includes VSV G envelope glycoprotein. The vector particle can be used to introduce nucleic acids into cells.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Jack R Barber