Patent ID: 7354591
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
1. An intracellular mature virus (IMV) vaccinia virus particle having a targeted infection specificity towards target cells, wherein: said IMV vaccinia virus particle infects said target cells; said targeted infection specificity is conferred by the binding of at least one ligand moiety localized at the surface of said IMV vaccinia virus particle to an anti-ligand molecule localized at the surface of said target cells; said at least one ligand moiety comprises an antibody fragment or a binding moiety of a normal cell surface receptor; said antibody fragment or binding moiety of a normal cell surface receptor is fused to the N-terminus of the expression product of the vaccinia virus A27L gene so as to produce a chimeric polypeptide localized at the surface of said IMV vaccinia virus particle; said anti-ligand molecule is selected from the group consisting of: a cell-specific marker, a tissue specific marker, a viral antigen, and a tumor-associated marker; and said IMV vaccinia virus is selected from the group consisting of Copenhagen, Wyeth and Ankara modified (MVA) strains.