Replication-competent adenovirus vectors specific for cells which allow a
probasin transcriptional response element (PB-TRE) to function, such as
cells which express the androgen receptor (AR), and methods of use of
such viruses are provided. These viruses comprise an adenoviral gene
under control of a transcriptional regulatory portion of a PB-TRE, which
is in turn dependent upon AR expression. The gene can be, for example, a
gene required for viral replication or the adenovirus death protein gene
(ADP). The viruses can also comprise at least one additional adenoviral
gene under control of at least one additional prostate-specific
transcriptional response element, such as that controlling
prostate-specific antigen expression (PSA-TRE). Thus, virus replication
can be restricted to target cells exhibiting prostate-specific gene
expression, particularly prostate carcinoma cells.