Abstract: The present invention provides a virus or a viral vector capable of expressing a gene specifically in a cell having replication ability in a hypoxic state such as a cancer stem cell and injuring the cell, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same. Specifically, the present invention provides a virus or a viral vector which comprises a gene encoding a fusion protein of an ODD and a protein essentially required for viral proliferation, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a virus or a viral vector capable of expressing a gene specifically in a cell having replication ability in a hypoxic state such as a cancer stem cell and injuring the cell, and pharmaceutical composition comprising the same. Specifically, the present invention provides a virus or a viral vector which comprises a gene encoding a fusion protein of an ODD and a protein essentially required for viral proliferation, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cell-specific expression/replication vector, and a method of treatment comprising introducing a cell-specific expression/replication vector into specific cells such as malignant tumors in order to selectively disrupt the specific cells. A vector according to the invention is constructed by: obtaining a transcriptional initiation regulatory region of human calponin gene that is specifically expressed in smooth muscle cell; linking the above region upstream to a replication-related gene of a virus such as ICP4 and the like; linking DNA that encodes a protein such as suppressive factor for tumor angiogenesis or apoptosis-related factors and the like via IRES to the replication-related gene of the virus; and integrating a thymidine kinase gene in an intact state into the viral DNA.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cell-specific replication-competent vector system, which does not target normal cells. The vector system is constructed by linking a transcriptional initiation regulatory promoter region upstream of a viral replication-related gene that integrates the linked region into a viral DNA vector. The constructed vector, when introduced into malignant tumor cells, selectively injures only tumor cells or proliferating smooth muscle cells of tumor neovascular tissue due to the selective expression of the regulatory promoter region upstream of a viral replication-related gene. In particular, the present invention relates to a transcriptional initiation regulatory region of the human calponin gene that can selectively express in tumor cells or proliferating smooth muscle cells of tumor neovascular tissue.

Abstract: The present invention provides an effective therapeutic composition for malignant mesothelioma. Specifically, the present invention provides a therapeutic composition for mesothelioma, comprising a calponin-targeting and tumor-lysing variant of herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), preferably a strain d12.CALPf?RR. The present invention further provides a method for generating a cell for treating mesothelioma, which comprises infecting mesothelioma cells removed from a patient with an F-type variant of herpes simplex virus proliferating with targeting a calponin gene, preferably a strain d12.CALPf?RR. Also provided are a cell obtainable by the method, and a calponin-targeting and tumor-lysing variant of herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), preferably a strain d12.CALPf?RR.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method wherein a cell-specific expression/replication vector that express and replicate a gene specifically in specific cells such as malignant tumors and the like and does not injure normal cells, particularly a vector that can suppress the expression/replication at a desired period after the expression/replication is constructed, for the use in therapies for such as malignant tumors and the like, and treatment is conducted by introducing the vector to a particular living cell such as malignant tumor and the like for expression.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for constructing a vector which expresses and replicates a gene specifically to particular cells; a DNA having a gene expression regulatory activity used for its construction; and further, a treatment method comprising the steps of introducing said vector into particular living tissues or cells such as malignant tumors and the like, and said vector expressing and replicating a gene. A cell-specific replication-competent vector which does not act to normal cells in an adult body is constructed by obtaining a transcriptional initiation regulatory region of human calponin gene which is expressed specifically in cells; by linking it upstream of a viral replication-related gene; and by integrating it into a virus DNA. Said constructed cell-specific replication-competent vector is introduced into malignant tumor cells to selectively injure tumor cells or proliferating smooth muscle cells of tumor neovascular.