Adenoviral vectors for treating diseases

Abstract

Adenoviral vectors, including mutant adenoviruses, that have restriction sites in the E3 region, that facilitate its partial or total deletion, or select genes contained therein, and optionally compositions and methods for substituting heterologous gene(s) in the partially or totally deleted E3 region(s), which heterologous gene(s) being operably linked to endogenous adenoviral transcriptional control sequences will exhibit an expression pattern, both in terms of timing and degree of expression, similar to the endogenous adenoviral gene(s) that it replaces, and further optionally including mutations in other parts of the adenoviral genome, including certain E1B or E1A regions, and that have applications for diagnosing or treating disease, preferably disease involving unwanted cell growth, including cancer.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
     
     
         10 . A composition of matter comprising recombinant adenoviral vectors that have restriction sites in the E3 region that facilitate partial or total deletion of the E3 region, or select genes contained therein, further comprising a deletion in a E1A or E1b region of said adenoviral vector, and wherein said E1b region encodes a 55 k protein.  
     
     
         11 . A composition of matter as described in  claim 10  wherein said E1b or said E1A region deletions are substituted with a gene that encodes a heterologous protein.  
     
     
         12 . A composition of matter as described in  claim 11 , wherein said heterologous protein is selected from the group consisting of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, an interleukin, a cell suicide protein, and mip-3.  
     
     
         13 - 16 . (canceled)  
     
     
         17 . A method for treating cancer in a mammal in need of said treatment, comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective dose of said composition of wherein said heterologous protein has anti-cancer activity.  
     
     
         18 . A method as described in  claim 17  wherein said heterologous protein is selected from the group consisting of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, an interleukin, a cell suicide protein, and mip-3.  
     
     
         19 . A method as described in  claim 18  further comprising administering with said composition a chemotherapeutic or immunosuppressive.  
     
     
         20 - 27 . (canceled)