TREATMENT OF TUMORS BY GENETIC TRANSFORMATION OF TUMOR CELLS WITH GENES ENCODING NEGATIVE SELECTIVE MARKERS AND CYTOKINES

摘要

A method of treating a tumor in a host which comprising administering to the host at least one expression vehicle including a first nucleic acid sequence encoding an agent which renders the tumor cells sensitive to an interaction agent, and a second nucleic acid sequence which encodes an agent which provides for the inhibition, prevention, or destruction of the growth of the tumor cells, wherein such agent is not an agent which renders tumor cells sensitive to an interaction agent. The tumor then is treated with the interaction agent. Preferably, the first nucleic acid sequence encodes a negative selective marker (such as Herpes Simplex Virus thymidine kinase), and the second nucleic acid sequence encodes a cytokine (such as Interleukin-2), and the first and second nucleic acid sequences are contained in first and second viral vectors, each of which is contained in a first producer cell line and in a second producer cell line, respectively. The producer cell lines are administering to the tumor, whereby viral particles generated by the producer cell lines infect the tumor cells. Upon administration of an interaction agent, such as ganciclovir, to the host, the tumor cells are killed.