| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080299642 | VECTORS WITH MODIFIED PROTEASE-DEPENDENT TROPISM - 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. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20090162320 | GENE TRANSFER INTO AIRWAY EPITHELIAL STEM CELL BY USING LENTIVIRAL VECTOR PSEUDOTYPED WITH RNA VIRUS OR DNA VIRUS SPIKE PROTEIN - 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. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090170798 | Highly safe intranasally administrable gene vaccines for treating alzheimer's disease - 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. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090246170 | Therapeutic Agent For Alzheimer's Disease - 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. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20100167341 | NOVEL PROTEIN EXPRESSION SYSTEM - The present inventors devised a protein expression system with coexisting MiniSeV and SeV particles, and assessed the system for the ability to transfer a gene(s) of interest into target cells, and to express the gene(s) in the target cells. It was shown that the expression system of the present invention had a high ability to transfer a gene(s) of interest into target cells, and a high ability to express the gene(s) in the target cells. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100184214 | METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF DENDRITIC CELL - 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. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100203027 | VIRAL VECTOR FOR GENE THERAPY - An objective of the present invention is to provide safe viral vectors for gene therapy that can be introduced by a simple technique and sufficiently express genes of interest in vivo. The present inventors demonstrated that anti-tumor effect can be produced when a heparin-binding cytokine such as granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and a chemokine such as TARC or RANTES are expressed in vivo using a viral vector based on a negative-strand RNA virus. The present inventors also demonstrated that the protective effect of the vector is superior to that of conventional adenovirus vectors. Thus, the present invention relates to negative-strand RNA viral vectors comprising a cytokine gene and a chemokine gene. The viral vectors are suitable for treatment of cancers, in particular, metastatic cancers. The present invention also provides compositions comprising such viral vectors, and gene therapy methods using them. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100209974 | NON-REPLICATING PARAMYXOVIRIDAE VIRUS VECTOR - The present inventors succeeded in producing non-replicating SeV vectors whose genomic RNAs lack all genes for the NP, P, and L proteins, which are RNP-constituting proteins. The present inventors confirmed that the NP/P/L-deficient SeV vectors carrying a marker gene such as GFP provide high productivity, and high transfer and expression efficiencies of foreign genes (high MOI infection is essential for achieving high expression levels). By lacking the L gene or two or more of the NP, P, and L genes, the vectors of the present invention enable lowering the level of virus-derived proteins expressed in host cells, thereby reducing the immunogenicity upon in vivo administration. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100297732 | VECTORS WITH MODIFIED PROTEASE-DEPENDENT TROPISM - 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. | 11-25-2010 |