An adenovirus encoding an endothelial cell-specific, murine pre-proendothelin-1 (PPE-1) promoter and a Fas-based chimeric death receptor with potential anti-angiogenic activity. Endothelial cell-specific transcriptional control of the adenoviral vector is achieved by the use of a modified murine PPE-1 promoter that is specifically activated in PPE-1-expressing angiogenic endothelial cells residing in the tumor microvasculature. Subsequently, the Fas-c (Fas-chimeric) death receptor, containing Fas and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 (TNFR1) moieties, is expressed in angiogenic endothelial cells; endothelial cell-specific Fas-mediated apoptosis is initiated by the binding of TNF-alpha, abundant in the tumor microenvironment, to the TNFR1 moiety of the expressed Fas-c death receptor.
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