THERAPEUTIC AGENT FOR RHEUMATISM CONTAINING FADD GENE AS ACTIVE INGREDIENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a therapeutic agent for rheumatism containing an Fas associated death domain protein(FADD) gene capable of inducing apoptosis in synovial tissue cells in which abnormal proliferation is recognized in a patient suffering from the rheumatism and an arthritic model animal. SOLUTION: This therapeutic agent for rheumatism contains an FADD gene as an active ingredient. The FADD gene is preferably integrated in a vector, especially an adenovirus vector. As a result of transfer of the FADD gene into synovial cells separated from synovial tissues of a patient suffering from rheumatism and cultured by using the adenovirus vector, it is found that most of cultured synovial cells are killed by the transfer of the FADD gene and apoptosis is induced in synovial tissue cells by high expression of the FADD molecule. Thereby, the therapeutic agent is useful for treating the rheumatism by the transfer of the FADD gene. Furthermore, it is recognized that the onset of arthritis is suppressed by transfer of the FADD gene.