摘要:
An objective of the present invention is to provide a safe and effective vaccine therapy for Alzheimer's disease. A minus strand RNA viral vector carrying amyloid gene was constructed, and administered intranasally to 24- to 25-months-old APP transgenic mice. The level of serum anti-A 42 antibody was determined and showed to be markedly higher than the control. The results of histological investigation showed that the administration of a vector of the present invention markedly reduced senile plaques in all of the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and hippocampus. The brain A level was also markedly reduced. Furthermore, the administration of a vector of the present invention did not result in lymphocyte infiltration in the central nervous system.
摘要:
The present invention provides methods for testing and producing (−) strand RNA virus vectors with reduced or eliminated particle formation ability or cytotoxicity. It was revealed that a deficiency in M protein localization in cells introduced with such a (−) strand RNA virus vector could result in the suppression of virus-like particle (VLP) formation in the cells. The present invention provides methods for testing and screening for a (−) strand RNA virus vector in which particle formation ability has been reduced or eliminated, and methods for producing a recombinant (−) strand RNA virus vector in which particle formation ability has been reduced or eliminated. Such a vector, in which VLP formation has been reduced or eliminated, is extremely useful as a vector for gene therapy, since it neither induces cytotoxicity nor immune response due to the secondary release of viruses from cells in which it has been introduced.
摘要:
The present invention provides novel therapeutic methods and agents for treating Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, the present invention relates to anti-inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokine genes, negative-strand RNA viral vectors carrying an anti-inflammatory cytokine gene, which are used for treating Alzheimer's disease or developing therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease. The present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions for treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease, which comprise the cytokines or vectors. The present invention further provides methods for treating Alzheimer's disease, which comprise the step of administering an anti-inflammatory cytokine, or a vector such as a negative-strand RNA viral vector carrying an anti-inflammatory cytokine gene. The present invention enables novel gene therapies for Alzheimer's disease.
摘要:
F gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using an F gene-deficient Sendai virus genomic cDNA. Further, F gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. Also, F gene and HN gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using a virus genomic cDNA deficient in both F gene and HN gene. Further, F gene and HN gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully produced by using F- and HN-expressing cells as helper cells. A virus deficient in F gene and HN gene and having F protein is constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. In addition, M gene-deficient infectious virus particles were produced using helper cells expressing M protein. From cells infected with M gene-deficient viruses, release of virus-like particles was inhibited. Further, a VSV-G pseudo type virus is successfully constructed by using VSV-G-expressing cells. Techniques for constructing these deficient viruses contribute to the development of vectors of Paramyxoviridae usable in gene therapy.
摘要:
A functional RNP containing negative-strand single-stranded RNA derived from Sendai virus, which has been modified so as not to express at least one envelope protein, has been successfully prepared. An RNP comprising a foreign gene is prepared and inserted into a cell with the use of a cationic liposome, thereby successfully expressing the foreign gene.
摘要:
The present invention provides methods for producing DCs, which comprise the step of culturing DC precursor cells in the presence of multiple cytokines, dendritic cells produced thereby, and uses thereof. The methods of the present invention enable production of large quantities of DC precursors with a high ability to differentiate into DCs. The present invention enables one to obtain large quantities of DCs from a small number of DC precursor cells, and therefore makes it easier to increase the number of DCs for administration in DC-based anti-tumor immunotherapy, treatment of infection, and such. Thus, an enhancement is expected for the effect of DC vaccines.
摘要:
The present invention provides methods for producing DCs, which comprise the step of culturing DC precursor cells in the presence of multiple cytokines, dendritic cells produced thereby, and uses thereof. The methods of the present invention enable production of large quantities of DC precursors with a high ability to differentiate into DCs. The present invention enables one to obtain large quantities of DCs from a small number of DC precursor cells, and therefore makes it easier to increase the number of DCs for administration in DC-based anti-tumor immunotherapy, treatment of infection, and such. Thus, an enhancement is expected for the effect of DC vaccines.
摘要:
The present invention provides virus vectors of the family Paramyxoviridae in which the transcription start (S) sequence has been modified so as to modify the expression of genes located downstream thereof, a method for producing the vectors, and uses thereof. By measuring the transcription initiation efficiency of the S sequence of each gene carried by Sendai viruses (SeV), it was clarified that the S sequence of F gene has a significantly lower ability to promote transcription than the other three S sequences. When the S sequence of the F gene of wild type Sendai virus was substituted by the S sequence of the P/M/HN gene-type showing a high transcription initiation efficiency, the F gene of the resultant Sendai virus mutant and genes located downstream thereof show elevated expression levels. It was also revealed that this mutant proliferates more quickly than the wild type. The vectors of this invention are useful in elevating the expression of foreign genes and producing pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines. Furthermore, by lowering virus gene expression from virus vectors, it is possible to suppress transcription and/or replication and reduce cytotoxicity of the vector genome.
摘要:
The present invention provides cell fusogenic vectors having replicative ability, whose protease-dependent tropism has been modified. M gene-deficient viral vectors encoding modified F proteins, in which the cleavage site of the F protein of paramyxovirus is modified to be cleaved by different proteases, were produced. In cells transfected with these vectors, the genomic RNA present in the vectors is replicated, and cell fusogenic infection spreads to neighboring cells depending on the presence of other proteases; however, no viral particles are released. The vectors of this invention, encoding the F proteins which are cleaved by proteases whose activity is enhanced in cancer, show cancer growth suppressive effect in vivo.
摘要:
The present inventors successfully introduced genes into stem cells of airway epithelial tissues using simian immunodeficiency virus vectors pseudotyped with F and HN, which are envelope glycoproteins of Sendai virus. Gene transfer into airway epithelial tissue stem cells using a vector of the present invention is useful for gene therapy of genetic respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Furthermore, it is possible to select respiratory organs such as the lungs as production tissues for providing proteins that are deficient due to genetic diseases.