The present invention provides erythrocytes or nucleated erythrocyte precursors from animals or patients with SS or SA hemoglobin or erythroleukemia cells stably transfected with BCAM/Lu which are capable of selectively localizing in tumor vasculature promoting ischemia and occlusion and carrying oncolytic viruses, antitumor proteins, plasmids, toxins and chemotherapy into the tumor mileau. Nucleated erythroid precursors containing SS or SA hemoglobin and transfected with nucleic acids encoding a hypoxia-responsive element and contatining nucleic acids encoding expression of oncolytic viruses, superantigens, toxins, viruses, antitumor proteins and chemotherapy are also useful in inducing a potent and specific tumoricidal response. An especially favored carrier is an SS nucleated erythroid precursor transfected with a replication competent oncolytic adenovirus or self-replicating alphavirus expressing a fusogenic membrane glycoprotein or a tumoricidal polypeptide.
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