Inventors:
Lawrence Cornett - Little Rock AR, US
F. Hiller - Little Rock AR, US
Stacie Jones - Little Rock AR, US
International Classification:
A61K048/00
US Classification:
424/093210, 514/044000, 435/320100
Abstract:
A method of treating a human subject having airway or vascular disease is disclosed that comprises administering to at least one cell type selected from the group consisting of airway epithelial cells, airway smooth muscle cells, blood vessel endothelial cells, and blood vessel smooth muscle cells, a first composition comprising a vector comprising a DNA sequence encoding a AR (p-adrenergic receptor) or a mutant thereof, operably linked to a promoter that is functional in at least one of said cells said subject, under conditions whereby the DNA sequence encoding the AR is expressed in at least one of the cells; and optionally administering a second composition comprising at least one -adrenergic agonist into the cells of said subject. A further pharmaceutical composition may be administered comprising a hormone or pharmacological agent that induces the promoter to express the AR in at least one of the target cells. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising the vector comprising a DNA sequence encoding a AR or a mutant thereof, operably linked to a promoter that is functional in at least one of the cells of the subject and kits containing these compositions are also disclosed. An in vitro method of expressing the AR gene in mammalian cells and a method of evaluating the effect of pharmacological compounds on the expression of the AR gene is disclosed.