Genetically-engineered myoblasts and cardiac myocytes as drug delivery systems

Abstract

A novel method for expressing a protein which comprises: transforming skeletal myoblasts or cardiac myocytes with a DNA sequence comprising a DNA segment encoding a selected gene downstream of the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat or the expression sequence in pRSV, and implanting said skeletal myoblasts or cardiac myocytes into a recipient which then expresses a physiologically effective level of said protein.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
     
         1 . A method for expressing a protein which comprises: transforming skeletal myoblasts or cardiac myocytes with a DNA sequence comprising a DNA segment encoding a selected gene downstream of the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat or the expression sequence in pRSV.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising implanting said skeletal myoblasts into a recipient which then expresses a physiologically effective serum level of said protein.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said cardiac myocytes are transformed in vivo.  
     
     
         4 . A skeletal myoblast or a cardiac myocyte transformed with a DNA sequence comprising a DNA segment encoding a selected gene downstream of the Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat or the expression sequence in pRSV, capable of expressing the gene product of said selected gene in vivo.  
     
     
         5 . The cardiac myocyte of  claim 4  which has been transformed in vivo by injection of said DNA sequence directly into heart muscle.  
     
     
         6 . The skeletal myoblast of  claim 4  which has been implanted in a recipient and expresses a physiologically effective amount of said gene product.