COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING AN INDUCING AGENT AND AN ANTI-VIRAL AGENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF BLOOD, VIRAL AND CELLULAR DISORDERS

摘要

The invention relates to novel compositions and to novel methods for the administration of compositions to a patient or to cells in vitro for the treatment of human disorders. In one embodiment, compositions contain chemical compounds that stimulate the expression of fetal hemoglobin and/or stimulate the proliferation of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in patients and ex vivo for reconstitution of hematopoiesis in vivo. These methods are useful to treat or prevent the symptoms associated with anemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia and other blood disorders. In another embodiment, compositions contain an inducing agent and an anti-viral agent. The inducing agent induces the expression of a cellular or viral product, such as viral thymidine kinase, increasing the sensitivity of proliferating cells to the anti-viral agent. Typical anti-viral agents include nucleoside analogs such as ganciclovir that inhibit viral replication. Methods involve administration of therapeutically effective amounts of the inducing agent with the anti-viral agent to destroy virus-infected cells. Viral infections that can be treated include infections by herpes viruses such as Kaposi's-associated herpes virus and Epstein-Barr virus, HIV infections and HTLV infections. These compositions and methods are particularly effective against episomal and latent infections in proliferating cells. The invention also relates to novel methods for the pulsed administration of compositions to patients for the treatment and prevention of cell proliferative disorders including deficiencies such as cytopenia and malignancies such as viral-induced tumors, other forms of neoplasia and for expansion of cells for hematopoietic transplantation.