Mixture comprising an inhibitor or suppresor of a gene and a molecule binding to an expression product of that gene

Abstract

A mixture comprising at least one inhibitor or suppressor of the expression of a gene and at least one molecule binding to an expression product of said gene.

1 . A mixture comprising at least one inhibitor or suppressor of the expression of a gene and at least one molecule inhibiting functional activity of an expression product of said gene.  
     
     
         2 . The mixture of  claim 1  wherein the at least one inhibitor or suppressor is a nucleic acid molecule or a derivative thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The mixture of  claim 2  wherein the nucleic acid molecule is an oligonucleotide, an antisense oligonucleotide and/or a ribozyme molecule.  
     
     
         4 . The mixture of  claim 3  wherein the oligonucleotide, the antisense oligonucleotide and/or the ribozyme molecule is integrated into a DNA delivery system comprising viral and/or non-viral vectors together with lipids selected from the group of anionic lipids, cationic lipids, non-cationic lipids and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The mixture of  claim 3  wherein the antisense oligonucleotide and/or ribozyme molecule is modified at one or more of the sugar moieties, the bases and/or the internucleotide linkages and/or by coupling the antisense and/or ribozyme molecule to an enhancer of uptake and/or inhibitory activity.  
     
     
         6 . The mixture of  claim 2  wherein the oligonucleotide has any one of the nucleotide sequences Seq. Id. No 1 to 17.  
     
     
         7 . The mixture of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inhibitor or supressor is a peptide and/or a protein.  
     
     
         8 . The mixture of any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein the at least one molecule binding to the expression product of the gene is an antibody, antibody fragment, such as a F ab  fragment, single chain antibody or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The mixture according to  claim 8  wherein the antibody, antibody fragment, such as a F ab  fragment, single chain antibody or combinations thereof is derived by screening antibody libraries and testing the expression products for binding to an expression product of the gene.  
     
     
         10 . The mixture of any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein the at least one molecule binding to an expression product of the gene is a peptide and/or protein.  
     
     
         11 . The mixture according to  claim 10  wherein the peptide and/or protein is derived by screening an expression library and testing the expression products for binding to an expression product of the gene or is derived by screening randomly synthesised peptides and/or proteins for binding to an expression product of the gene.  
     
     
         12 . The mixture according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecule or factor binding to an expression product of the gene is a low molecular weight molecule.  
     
     
         13 . The mixture according to  claim 12  wherein the low molecular weight molecule inhibitor is derived using combinatorial chemistry and testing the products for binding to an expression product of the gene.  
     
     
         14 . The mixture according to  claim 1 , wherein the molecule binding to an expression product of the gene is a DNA or RNA molecule or a derivative thereof including aptamers and/or spiegelmers.  
     
     
         15 . The mixture according to claims  3  and  8  wherein the at least one inhibitor or suppressor of the expression of a gene is an antisense oligonucleotide and the at least one molecule inhibiting functional activity of an expression product of said gene as an antibody.  
     
     
         16 . The mixture of any one of  claims 1  to  15  wherein the gene is a gene selected from the group consisting of TGF-β, erbB-2, MIA, c-jun, junB, c-fos, VCAM, NF-kappaB p65, NF-kappa B p50, ICAM, VEGF and NF-kB 2.  
     
     
         17 . Oligonucleotides having the sequences Seq. ID. No 1 to 17.  
     
     
         18 . A medicament comprising the mixture of any one of  claims 1  to  16 .  
     
     
         19 . Use of the mixture according to  claims 1  to  16  for the preparation of a medicament for treating tumors, immune disorders, or improving organ or cell transplantation or cell expansion.  
     
     
         20 . Use according to  claim 18  wherein inhibition of tumor growth, improvement of organ or cell transplantation, cell expansion, enhancement or inhibition of immune response is enhanced in a supra-additive manner.  
     
     
         21 . A method for reducing a functional activity of a gene product in a biological system comprising treatment of the biological system simultaneously or successively with at least one inhibitor or suppressor of the expression of a gene and at least one molecule inhibiting functional activity of an expression product of said gene.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the biological system is a cell, a cell culture, an organ or an organism.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the biological system is a patient suffering from the functional activity of a gene product.