Patent ID: 8334137

Claim:
A vector for use in selectively targeting hypoxic tumors, comprising a nucleic acid that encodes a cytotoxic protein, a cytotoxic polypeptide, a cytokine, and/or a growth factor, operatively linked to a hypoxia-inducible MN/CA 9 promoter or MN/CA 9 promoter fragment, which comprises a HIF-1 consensus binding sequence, wherein said vector, when transfected into a hypoxic vertebrate cell that abnormally expresses MN/CA IX protein, inhibits the growth of said cell; wherein said hypoxia-inducible MN/CA 9 promoter has a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) SEQ ID NO: 144 and its complementary nucleotide sequence; and (b) nucleotide sequences that are at least 90% homologous; to the nucleotide sequences of (a); and wherein said hypoxia-inducible MN/CA 9 promoter fragment is a fragment of the nucleotide sequence selected from the nucleotide sequences of (a) and (b), and comprises at least a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (c) SEQ ID NO: 146 and its complementary nucleotide sequence; and (d) nucleotide sequences that are 90% homologous to the nucleotide sequences of (c); and wherein said hypoxia-inducible MN/CA 9 promoter or promoter fragment has hypoxia-inducible activity.