Patent ID: 7056729

Claim:
A plasmid encoding a modified clostridial neurotoxin, comprising: (a) a first nucleotide sequence comprising; (i) a first nucleotide segment encoding an amino acid sequence comprising substance P as the targeting moiety; and (ii) a second nucleotide segment encoding an amino acid sequence comprising a translocation domain (H N ) of a clostridial neurotoxin or a fragment thereof, which fragment translocates a light chain (L-chain) or L-chain fragment of a clostridial neurotoxin across an endosome membrane, wherein the first and second nucleotide segments encode an amino acid sequence comprising a fusion protein of a translocation domain and substance P. and wherein the H C has been removed from said clostridial neurotoxin or has been modified so as to reduce the ability of the clostridial neurotoxin to bind to a receptor for the H c at a neuromuscular junction; (b) a second nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence comprising the L-chain or an L-chain fragment of a clostridial neurotoxin, which L-chain fragment comprises the active protease domain of L-chain and (c) an element for plasmid replication by a host cell.