RECEPTOR SPECIFIC CHIMERIC VIRAL SURFACE POLYPEPTIDES FOR VIRAL AND PARTICLE INCORPORATION AND INTERNALIZATION IN TARGET CELLS

摘要

Viral and non-viral particles can be incorporated by chimeric viral surfacepolypeptides that are constructed to include a portion of a viral surfacepolypeptide and a portion of a ligand specific for a receptor of the LDL-receptor family. Particles incorporated by the chimeras can target cellsspecific for the receptor type for which the chimera is designed, and can beinternalized in these cells. Exemplary models of the invention includechimeras constructed with a ligand portion of a SERPIN, for example PAI-1, fortargeting cells expressing uPAR bound uPA, and for forming an internalizablecomplex upon contact with LRP cell surface receptor. Accordingly, when theparticle is internalized in the target cell, so is any genome orpolynucleotide encoding a polypeptide for expression that is contained in theviral or non-viral particle. Cell specific gene therapy protocols are therebyaccomplished by the invention.