Herpes virus strains for gene therapy
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a herpes virus with improved oncolytic properties which comprises a gene encoding an immunomodulatory cytokine and which lacks a functional ICP34.5 gene and a functional ICP47 encoding gene.
1. A herpes simplex virus which:
(i) comprises a gene encoding an immunostimulatory protein;
(ii) lacks a functional ICP34.5 encoding gene and a functional ICP47 encoding gene;
(iii) is replication competent in tumor cells; and
(iv) is derived from HSV1 JS1 as deposited at the European collection of cell cultures (ECAAC) under accession number 01010209.
2. A virus according to claim 1 , wherein said immunostimulatory protein is GM-CSF.
3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising as active ingredient a virus according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.
4. HSV1 strain JS1 as deposited at the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC) under accession number 01010209, or an HSV1 strain derived therefrom.