Patent ID: 9487800
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: A61K,C07K,C12N

Claim Text:
1. An isolated transgenic mammalian cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) or natural killer (NK) cell expressing IL-15 as a selectable marker for gene transfer and co-expressing at least one protein of interest, said cell comprising a lentiviral vector encoding IL-15 and the at least one protein of interest, wherein the protein of interest is a protein other than IL-15, and wherein the protein of interest is a protein of therapeutic interest, wherein the expression of the IL-15 as a selectable marker results in survival or growth of the mammalian CTL or NK cell in the absence of exogenously added IL-15 and/or IL-2, wherein the IL-15 has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 1 or an amino acid sequence that has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO. 1, or the IL-15 is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO. 2 or a nucleotide sequence with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO. 2, and wherein the expression of the IL-15 does not result in the secretion of IL-15 into the culture supernatant in amounts sufficient to support survival and growth of cells that are not transformed or transduced with the IL-15 and/or are not expressing the IL-15 themselves.