This application describes a composition and method for treating inflammatory bowel disease or other autoimmune diseases.  The composition utilizes a vector which contains a first promoter which controls the expression of a regulatory transcription factor and a second inducible promoter which controls the expression of the gene of interest.  The preferred gene of interest encodes an isoform of TGF-beta such as TGF-beta1 or TGF-beta3.  The isoform of TGF-beta does not have to be hTGF-beta and can be a latent or active isoform of TGF-beta. The preferred inducible promoter is TRE-CMV which can be induced using doxycycline. The usefulness of the composition for treating autoimmune diseases is demonstrated in the application in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease in which intestinal inflammation was abrogated by the administration of a plasmid vector encoding active TGF-beta.  The composition may be administered by a variety of delivery systems and intranasal delivery is exemplified.

U.S. Patent Application No. 10/258,109 filed 30 Jun 2003 (HHS Reference No. E-096-2000/0-US-03)

Inventors:

Warren Strober et al. (NIAID)

Licensees Sought