MOLECULAR CHIMAERAS AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING THEM FOR CANCER THERAPY

摘要

Novel molecular chimaeras produced by recombinant DNA techniques are described. They comprise a target tissue specific transcriptional regulatory sequence (TRS) linked and controlling the expression of a heterologous enzyme for example Varicella Zoster Virus Thymidine Kinase (VZV TK) gene. A molecular chimaera is packaged into a synthetic retroviral particle which is capable of infecting mammalian tissue. This in turn may be administered to a patient, and the TRS will be selectively transcriptionally activated in the target tissue (for example cancerous tissue). Administration of compounds which are selectively metabolised by the enzyme produce cytotoxic or cytostatic metabolites in situ thereby selectively killing or arresting the growth of the target cell.