Abstract: | A more than 99% reduction in infectivity of cultures infected with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) virus was obtained by treating the cultures with liposomes containing fragment A of diphtheria toxin. In the mixed cultures of human embryonic lung (HEL) cells and SSPE virus-infected HEL cells (SSPE cells), SSPE virus in SSPE cells invaded the surrounding HEL cells successively, forming syncytial giant cells to destroy the whole cultures. By adding liposomes containing fragment A of diphtheria toxin to the mixed cultures, we were successful in killing the SSPE cells selectively and as the result of elimination of SSPE cells from the cultures, the cultures appeared to be cured by uninfected HEL cell growth. |