| abstract |
A method is provided for eliminating cancer cells from a population of cells containing cancer cells and noncancerous cells in vitro or in vivo comprising: (a) providing a mixture of noncancerous cells and cancer cells; (b) contacting the cancer cells with transgenic cancer cells comprising a foreign gene such as the herpes virus thymidine kinase gene that renders the transgenic cancer cells susceptible to a therapeutic agent; and (c) contacting the transgenic cancer cells with an amount of said therapeutic agent effective to kill both the transgenic cancer cells and the cancer cells. |