Modified receptors that continuously signal

摘要

Engineered cell surface receptors are described that are constitutively active in the absence of the cytokine, hormone or molecule that normally activates the receptor. Receptors that constitutively signal are generally created by engineering the receptor to form multimers at the cell surface. Disclosed are various DNA, protein and cellular compositions and methods of making and using such constitutively active receptors. Particular examples are fusion proteins in which the stem, transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic domain are derived from a TNF receptor, and the extracellular, multimerizing domain is derived from an erythropoietin receptor. Transfection of such fusion protein constructs into cells is shown to result in a strong cytotoxic effect.