| abstract |
This invention relates to chimeric nucleic acids and to the therapeutic induction of apoptosis in activated inflammatory cells, or cells at a site of inflammation, by introducing into those cells the chimeric nucleic acid. The chimeric nucleic acid having at least one TNFα promoter enhancer attached to a functional copy of a TNFα promoter and further attached to at least one copy of an apoptosis-inducing gene, which is further attached to a 3'UTR. The apoptosis-inducing gene is Granzyme B. The invention also relates to methods of making and using self-regulated apoptosis chimeric nucleic acids and pharmaceutical compositions containing them for treating inflammatory diseases. |