Enhanced and Specific Gene Expression via Tissue-Specific Production of Cre Recombinase Using Adenovirus Vector☆☆☆

摘要: A tissue-specific promoter is potentially valuable for the study of specific gene function and therapy, as it permits a linked cytotoxic or any other to be expressed specifically in target cells. The expression levels such promoters are generally low, we have therefore developed novel general method enhance level while maintaining specificity. We constructed “regulator” recombinant adenovirus (rAd) producing site-specific recombinase Cre under control hepatocarcinoma-specific α-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter. rAd was infected AFP-producing cells together with “target” containing Cre-activating potent unit. Inin vitroexperiments, double infection gave about 50-fold higher than single directly driven by AFP promoter, strict specificity enhanced also observed inin vivotumor models. This may contribute not only establishment therapies but basic elucidating cell-type functions.