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The United States Department of Health and Human Services’ patents

The granted Australian patent and the European application are related to methods for the controlled expression in a gene of interest by a heat-inducible promoter in a spatial and temporal fashion.

One of the methods of the invention is not directed to a particular organism or cell, but to a cell mass or multicellular organism. In another method, animal cells are selected for the expression of a therapeutic protein under the control of a heat shock promoter.

Patent Number Title, Independent Claims and Summary of Claims Assignee
AU 732872 B2

  • Earliest priority – 15 August 1996
  • Filed – 14 August 1997
  • Granted – 3 May 2001
  • Expected expiry – 14 August 2017
 Title – Spatial and temporal control of gene expression using a heat shock protein promoter in combination with local heat

Claim 1
A method for the spatial and temporal control of the expression of a gene of interest within a preselected discrete region of a cell mass or multicellular organism, comprising:
selectively heating a preselected discrete region of a cell mass or multicellular organism that includes cells that contain a genetically engineered gene of interest operably linked to a heat-inducible promoter, thereby inducing the expression of said gene of interest in the cells that are selectively heated.
Claim 9
A method of providing a therapeutic protein to selected cells in an animal, comprising the steps of:
introducing into cells of an animal a DNA molecule having a heat shock promoter sequence operably linked to and exerting regulatory control over a sequence encoding a therapeutic protein, and
activating said heat shock promoter sequence through the application of a focused ultrasound so that said DNA segment expresses a therapeutically effective amount of said therapeutic protein.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services
EP 922110 A2

  • Earliest priority – 15 August 1996
  • Filed – 14 August 1997
  • Granted – Pending
  • Expected expiry – N/A
 The title and the claims are the same as AU 732872.
US 2002/165191

  • Earliest priority – 15 August 1996
  • Filed – 11 March 2002
  • Granted – Pending
  • Expected expiry – N/A
 The title and the claims are the same as AU 732872.

Claim 1

A method for the spatial and temporal control of the expression of a gene of interest within a preselected discrete region of a cell mass or multicellular organism, comprising: selectively heating a preselected discrete region of a cell mass or multicellular organism that includes cells that contain a genetically engineered gene of interest operably linked to a heat-inducible promoter, thereby inducing the expression of said gene of interest in the cells that are selectively heated.
Claim 9

A method of providing a therapeutic protein to selected cells in an animal, comprising the steps of: introducing into cells of an animal a DNA molecule having a heat shock promoter sequence operably linked to and exerting regulatory control over a sequence encoding a therapeutic protein, and activating said heat shock promoter sequence through the application of a focused ultrasound so that said DNA segment expresses a therapeutically effective amount of said therapeutic protein.
US 2005/059623

  • Earliest priority – 15 August 1996
  • Filed – 9 June 2004
  • Granted – Pending
  • Expected expiry – N/A
 This is a countinuation of US 2002/165191 (see above) with claims 1-9 canceled

Claim 10

A method for the spatial and temporal control of the expression of a genetically engineered gene of interest operably linked to a heat shock promoter in host cells within a preselected region of a mammal, consisting: selectively heating the region to non-lethal supraphysiological temperatures for a period of time by applying electromagnetic radiation to the region, thereby spatially and temporally controlling the expression of the gene of interest.
Claim 18

A method of treating mammal, the method comprising: introducing a genetically engineered gene operably linked to a heat shock promoter into host cells of a region of the mammal; selectively heating the region to non-lethal supraphysiological temperatures by applying electromagnetic radiation for a period of time to the region, thereby spatially and temporally controlling the expression of the gene and amount of the protein produced in the region.

Remarks

 Related application also filed in Japan (JP 2001501458 T2).

Note: Patent information on this page was last updated on 4 May 2006.

Search terms: “Heat shock promoter” in abstract; “the Department of Health and Human Services” in applicant

Patent database: Patent Lens and esp@cenet