US 6,982,082 B1
Gene therapy by cell specific targeting
Stuart L. Schreiber, Boston, Mass. (US); Peter J. Belshaw, Somerville, Mass. (US); and Gerald Crabtree, Woodside, Calif. (US)
Assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. (US); and Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Stanford, Calif. (US)
Filed on Aug. 27, 1997, as Appl. No. 8/922,240.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/024484, filed on Aug. 27, 1996.
Int. Cl. A61K 48/00 (2006.01); C12N 5/00 (2006.01); C12N 15/00 (2006.01); C12N 15/63 (2006.01); C12N 15/74 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 424—93.21 11 Claims
 
1. A method for inhibiting proliferation of genetically engineered T cells in an animal, wherein said genetically engineered T cells are introduced to the animal and said genetically engineered T cells comprise a nucleic acid encoding a mutated macrolide binding protein (MBP) selected from an FK506-binding protein (FKBP), cyclophilin, calcineurin, and FKBP:rapamycin associated protein (FRAP),
wherein said method comprises administering to the animal a macrolide which binds to the mutated MBP or forms a complex including the mutated MBP, thereby inhibiting proliferation of T cells expressing the mutated MBP,
wherein said genetically engineered T cells are autologous or allogeneic to the animal, and
wherein, relative to the wild-type MBP, the mutated MBP contains an altered amino acid sequence and has an altered specificity for binding to or forming a complex with a macrolide.