| abstract |
The invention concerns a polycistronic expression plasmid encoding one or more viral antigens suitable for (i) DNA based immunization of a cancer-bearing patient and/or (ii) transfection in vitro and/or in vivo of tumor cells of said patient. Further, the invention concerns tumor cells of a cancer-bearing patient, wherein the tumor cells are transfected in vitro with a polycistronic expression plasmid according to the invention for injection into said patient. In addition, the invention concerns a process for the production of a polycistronic expression plasmid according to the invention, wherein the following steps are provided: (a) in vitro screening for a specific cytolytic T cell reactivity in peripheral blood of a cancer-bearing patient, wherein said reactivity is directed against one or more viral antigens; (b) cloning one or more of said viral antigens and, optionally, one or more cytokines into a polycistronic expression vector. Finally, the invention concerns a use of a polycistronic expression vector obtained according to the process according to the invention for an immunotherapy of cancer, wherein the following steps are provided: (a) injecting in vivo the polycistronic expression vector into tumor cells of the cancer-bearing patient; or (b) isolating tumor cells from said patient, transfecting them in vitro with said polycistronic expression vector, and re-injecting the resulting genetically engineered tumor cells back into the patient; or (c) transfecting in vitro tumor cells having been isolated from said cancer-bearing patient, with said polycistronic expression vector for re-injecting the resulting genetically engineered tumor cells back into the patient. |