Patent ID: 7785887

Claim:
A method of treating a cancer, characterized by neoplastic cells that substantially lack p53 function, in a patient in need of the treatment, comprising administering chemotherapy to said patient, administering to said patient a dose of a recombinant adenovirus, said recombinant adenovirus comprising a mutation in the E1B-55K gene, said gene encoding a mutated E1B- 55K protein comprising a single amino acid substitution mutation, said single amino acid substitution mutation reducing the ability of said mutated E1B-55K protein to bind to the tumor suppressor p53 when compared to the ability of wild-type E1B-55K protein to bind to the tumor suppressor p53 and said recombinant adenovirus has the further property of retaining late viral function, and allowing sufficient time for said recombinant adenovirus to infect neoplastic cells of said cancer.