Abstract: The present invention relates to multi-ribozymes and their use to target RNA in a tissue-specific, target RNA-specific, or pathogen-specific manner for the treatment of cancers, proliferative disease, and bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of virions and viral vectors to package and deliver DNA encoding the multi-ribozymes to a host. The present invention relates to the use of liposomes and lipid-DNA complexes to deliver DNA encoding ribozymes to a host. Most specifically, the invention relates to the use of target specific virions to package and deliver DNA comprising a target specific promoter and encoding a ribozyme(s) directed to the target organism nucleic acids. The present invention further relates to a novel vectors encoding a multi-ribozyme structure with enhanced 5? and/or 3? autocatalytically cleaving ribozymes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agent to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions comprising the tissue specific and target RNA-specific ribozyme(s) in either a viral delivery system or a biologic liposome preparation, wherein the viral delivery system or a biologic liposome comprises a pathogen-specific promotor upstream from a sequence encoding a triple ribozyme comprising a) a 5′ autocatalytically cleaving ribozyme sequence, b) a catalytic ribozyme comprising a target RNA-specific binding site and c) a 3′ autocatalytically cleaving ribozyme sequence. The invention also provides methods of treating and/or preventing bacterial infections by administering the compositions of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to multi-ribozymes and their use to target RNA in a tissue-specific, target RNA-specific, or pathogen-specific manner for the treatment of cancers, proliferative disease, and bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of virions and viral vectors to package and deliver DNA encoding the multi-ribozymes to a host. The present invention relates to the use of liposomes and lipid-DNA complexes to deliver DNA encoding ribozymes to a host. Most specifically, the invention relates to the use of target specific virions to package and deliver DNA comprising a target specific promoter and encoding a ribozyme(s) directed to the target organism nucleic acids. The present invention further relates to a novel vectors encoding a multi-ribozyme structure with enhanced 5′ and/or 3′ autocatalytically cleaving ribozymes.