Oxford Biomedica (UK) Limited

Oxford Biomedica, Inc.

Mark Uden

Christopher Robert Bebbington

Susan Mary Kingsman

Alan John Kingsman

Kyriacos Mitrophanos

Kyriacos Andreou Mitrophanous

A retroviral vector is described. The retroviral vector comprises a functional splice donor site and a functional splice acceptor site; wherein the functional splice donor site and the functional splice acceptor site flank a first nucleotide sequence of interest ('NOI'); wherein the functional splice donor site is upstream of the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the retroviral vector is derived from a retroviral pro-vector; wherein the retroviral pro-vector comprises a first nucleotide sequence ('NS') capable of yielding the functional splice donor site and a second NS capable of yielding the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the first NS is downstream of the second NS; such that the retroviral vector is formed as a result of reverse transcription of the retroviral pro-vector.

Retroviral vectors comprising a functional splice donor site and a functional splice acceptor site

A retroviral vector is described. The retroviral vector comprises a functional splice donor site and a functional splice acceptor site; wherein the functional splice donor site and the functional splice acceptor site flank a first nucleotide sequence of interest (&ldquo;NOI&rdquo;); wherein the functional splice donor site is upstream of the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the retroviral vector is derived from a retroviral pro-vector; wherein the retroviral pro-vector comprises a first nucleotide sequence (&ldquo;NS&rdquo;) capable of yielding the functional splice donor site and a second NS capable of yielding the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the first NS is downstream of the second NS; such that the retroviral vector is formed as a result of reverse transcription of the retroviral pro-vector.

A viral vector production system is provided which system comprises: (i) a viral genome comprising at least one first nucleotide sequence encoding a gene product capable of binding to and effecting the cleavage, directly or indirectly, of a second nucleotide sequence, or transcription product thereof, encoding a viral polypeptide required for the assembly of viral particles, (ii) a third nucleotide sequence encoding said viral polypeptide required for the assembly of the viral genome into viral particles, which third nucleotide sequence has a different nucleotide sequence to the second nucleotide sequence such that said third nucleotide sequence, or transcription product thereof, is resistant to cleavage directed by said gene product; wherein at least one of the gene products is an external guide sequence capable of binding to and effecting the cleavage by RNase P of the second nucleotide sequence. The viral vector production system may be used to produce viral particles for use in treating or preventing viral infection.

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Oxon, United Kingdom

Mark Uden