公开(公告)号：EP0731839A1

公开(公告)日：1996-09-18

申请号：EP95901304.0

申请日：1994-11-29

申请人： Johnson, David C. ,  York, Ian A.

发明人： Johnson, David C. ,  York, Ian A.

IPC分类号： G01N33 ,  A61K31 ,  A61K35 ,  A61K38 ,  A61K39 ,  A61K48 ,  A61P3 ,  A61P25 ,  A61P27 ,  A61P29 ,  A61P31 ,  A61P37 ,  C07H21 ,  C07K14 ,  C07K16 ,  C12N5 ,  C12N7 ,  C12N15 ,  C12P21 ,  C12R1

CPC分类号： G01N33/505 ,  A61K38/162 ,  A61K48/00 ,  C07K14/005 ,  C12N2710/16622 ,  G01N33/5008 ,  G01N33/502 ,  G01N33/5044 ,  G01N33/5088 ,  G01N2333/035

摘要： This invention relates to the use of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) immediate early protein ICP47, nucleic acid sequences coding for ICP47, and homologous proteins and nucleic acid sequences, to inhibit presentation of viral and cellular antigens associated with major histocompatibility class I (MHC class I) proteins to CD8+ T lymphocytes; this inhibition effectively increases infective persistence, which can, for example, improve the utility of viral gene therapy vectors. This invention also pertains to a method for the treatment of herpesvirus infections, wherein expression and/or activity of the ICP47 protein or its homologue is inhibited in order to increase immune recognition of herpesvirus-infected cells and other cells. This invention also pertains to a method for identifying drugs that interfere with the expression or function of ICP47 and its homologues, and which are useful in treating herpesvirus infections, and also pertains to the drugs so identified. Furthermore, this invention pertains to methods for the treatment and prevention of autoimmune diseases, tissue and organ transplant rejection, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and tissue damage accompanying ocular herpesvirus infections, wherein ICP47 or its homologue, or nucleic acids encoding such proteins, are introduced into the cells of a patient. In addition, this invention pertains to vector elements, vectors, polypeptides and polypeptide fragments that can be utilized for the foregoing purposes.