Retroviral And Lentiviral Vectors
The present invention provides a retroviral or lentiviral vector having a viral envelope which comprises a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein which comprises: (i) a mitogenic domain which binds a mitogenic tetraspanin, and (ii) a transmembrane domain; wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein. When cells such as T-cells or Natural Killer cells are transduced by such a viral vector, they are activated by the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein.
1 - 26 . (canceled)
27 . A kit for making a retroviral or lentiviral vector having a viral envelope comprising a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein, which kit comprises:
(i) a host cell which expresses, at the cell surface, the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein,
(ii) nucleic acids comprising gag, pol, env and optionally rev, and
(iii) a retroviral or lentiviral genome,
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein comprises:
(a) a mitogenic domain which binds a mitogenic tetraspanin and
(b) a transmembrane domain, and
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein.
28 . A kit for making a retroviral or lentiviral vector having a viral envelope comprising a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein, which kit comprises:
(i) a packaging cell which is a host cell that comprises one or more of the genes gag, pol, env and/or rev and that expresses, at the cell surface, a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein, and
(ii) a retroviral or lentiviral vector genome,
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein comprises:
(a) a mitogenic domain which binds a mitogenic tetraspanin and
(b) a transmembrane domain, and
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein.
29 . A kit for making a packaging cell, which kit comprises:
(i) one or more nucleic acid(s) encoding a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein, and
(ii) nucleic acids comprising retroviral gag, pol, env and optionally rev genes,
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein comprises:
(a) a mitogenic domain which binds a mitogenic tetraspanin and
(b) a transmembrane domain, and
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein.
30 . A kit for making a producer cell, which kit comprises:
(i) one or more nucleic acid(s) encoding a mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein,
(ii) nucleic acids comprising retroviral gag, pol, and env and optionally rev genes,
(iii) a retroviral or lentiviral vector genome,
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein comprises:
(a) a mitogenic domain which binds a mitogenic tetraspanin and
(b) a transmembrane domain, and
wherein the mitogenic T-cell activating transmembrane protein is not part of a viral envelope glycoprotein.