Tumor killing effects of enterotoxins, superantigens, and related compounds
US6221351A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 24, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12N2510/00
- WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Superantigens, including staphylococcal enterotoxins, are useful agents in the killing of tumor cells, the enhancement of antitumor immunity and in the treatment of cancer in a tumor-bearing host. In particular, the immune system of a subject with cancer is contacted with tumor cells that have been transfected with nucleic acid encoding a superantigen or biologically active polypeptide of a superantigen. Alternatively, transfected accessory cells, immunocytes or fibroblasts are used. When the superantigen is expressed in the host, T cell proliferation is induced leading to increased antitumor immunity and tumor cell killing. The nucleic acid encoding a superantigen may be administered to the tumor in vivo to transfect tumor cells wherein superantigen expression induces a similar tumoricidal immune response. Also disclosed are methods for treating a tumor wherein the transfected cells described above are incubated ex vivo with an immunocyte population, particularly T lymphocytes, to tumoricidally activate the population, followed by administering the activated population to the tumor-bearing host. Superantigens useful in these methods also include Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin, t…
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