The present invention relates to a chimeric pro-caspase, which contains a pro-caspase
domain and an oligomerizing domain. The invention also relates to an antibody that
reacts specifically with a chimeric pro-caspase. In addition, the invention further
relates to a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric pro-caspase, and to nucleotide
sequences, which can hybridize specifically with a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric
pro-caspase. The present invention also relates to a method of inducing apoptosis
in a cell by providing a chimeric pro-caspase in the cell, wherein the chimeric
pro-caspase includes a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain, whereby
the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer in the cell, thereby activating caspase
activity of the chimeric pro-caspase and inducing apoptosis in the cell. The present
invention further relates to a method of reducing the severity of a pathologic
condition in a subject, by providing cells of the subject that are involved in
the pathologic condition with a chimeric pro-caspase comprising a pro-caspase domain
and an oligomerizing domain, whereby the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer
in the cells, thereby activating caspase activity of the chimeric pro-caspase,
inducing apoptosis in the cells, and reducing the severity of the pathologic condition
in the subject.
