Abstract: The invention provides a disease-treating drug, specifically acting particular cells or tissues, which is based on protein hollow nanoparticles. The drug's therapeutic effects are confirmed through animal experiments. The invention also provides a treatment method using the drug. The disease-treating drug comprises a substance to be transferred into a cell for treatment of a disease (for example, cancer-treating, thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1) encapsulated in hollow nanoparticles containing particle-forming protein (for example, hepatitis B virus surface antigen protein modified to lose infectivity to inherent hepatocyte and also display a growth factor) displaying, for example, a growth factor.

Abstract: The invention provides a drug for treating hepatic diseases with the use of hollow protein nanoparticles. The effectiveness of the drug has been proved by animal testing. The invention also provides a therapeutic method using such a drug. In a drug according to the present invention, a substance to be transferred into a cell for treating a hepatic disease (for example, a cancer treating gene such as a thymidine kinase gene derived from simple herpes virus) is encapsulated in hollow nanoparticles that have an ability to recognize a hepatocyte and are composed of a particle-forming protein (for example, hepatitis B virus surface-antigen protein).