Composition for treating cancerous cells and a method therefor

Abstract

A composition for treating cancerous cells in a subject having an immune system includes a virus in the Yatapoxvirus genus having at least one mutation. In one embodiment, the mutation results in suppressed expression of a TNF binding protein by the virus. In another embodiment, the mutation results in suppressed expression of thymidine kinase (“TK”) by the virus. In another embodiment, the mutation arms the virus with a transgene to express a bacterial flagellin. The mutations can be present singly or in combination. Additional aspects include a method of treating cancerous cells with a composition as described herein, and a method of delivering at least one gene to cancerous cells in a subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition, comprising:
 a virus in the  Yatapoxvirus  genus for treating cancerous cells in a subject having an immune system, the virus having at least one mutation, wherein the at least one mutation results in a loss of expression of thymidine kinase.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mutation results in a loss of expression of thymidine kinase encoded by a 66R gene. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising a second mutation, wherein the second mutation results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the second mutation results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein encoded by a 2L gene. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the second mutation results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein having a structure capable of binding to an MHC-1 light chain. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the virus encodes a transgene expressing a bacterial flagellin. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the virus encodes at least one transgene that results in expression of an immune stimulatory protein. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the virus encodes at least one transgene that results in expression of at least one of monocyte chemotactic protein 1, granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor, interleukin-2, or a bacterial flagellin protein. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one transgene that results in expression of a bacterial flagellin protein is a product of a  Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium  gene. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the virus encodes at least one transgene to increase apoptosis of the cancerous cells. 
     
     
         11 . A composition, comprising:
 a virus in the  Yatapoxvirus  genus for treating cancerous cells in a subject having an immune system, wherein the virus comprises a first mutation that results in a loss of expression of thymidine kinase and a second mutation that results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein, and wherein the virus encodes at least one transgene that results in expression of a protein.   
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one transgene that results in expression of a protein comprises a transgene that results in expression of one of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 or granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one transgene that results in expression of a protein comprises a transgene that results in expression of a T-cell growth factor. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one transgene that results in expression of a protein comprises a transgene that results in expression of interleukin-2. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one transgene that results in expression of a protein comprises a transgene that results in expression of a bacterial flagellin protein. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the transgene that results in expression of a bacterial flagellin protein is a product of the  Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium  gene. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the first mutation that results in a loss of expression of thymidine kinase comprises loss of expression of a protein encoded by a 66R gene. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the second mutation that results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein comprises a mutation that results in a loss of expression of a protein encoded by a 2L gene. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the second mutation that results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein comprises a mutation that results in a loss of expression of a TNF binding protein having a structure capable of binding to an MHC-1 light chain. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the virus encodes at least one transgene to increase apoptosis of the cancerous cells.