Patent ID: 7235235
Filing Date: 2007-06-26
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
1. A helper cell for producing an infectious, defective alphavirus particle, comprising an alphavirus permissive cell transfected with RNAs comprising: (a) an alphavirus replicon RNA, wherein the replicon RNA comprises an alphavirus packaging signal, one or more heterologous RNA sequence(s) encoding an immunogenic protein or peptide, and wherein the replicon RNA lacks sequences encoding alphavirus structural proteins; (b) a first helper RNA separate from said replicon RNA, said first helper RNA encoding at least one alphavirus structural protein and furthermore not encoding at least one other alphavirus structural protein; and (c) one or more additional helper RNA(s) separate from said replicon RNA and separate from said first helper RNA, said additional helper RNA(s) encoding at least one other alphavirus structural protein not encoded by said first helper RNA; wherein the combined expression of the alphavirus replicon RNA and the helper RNAs produces an assembled alphavirus particle which comprises one or more heterologous RNA sequence(s), is able to infect a cell, and is unable to complete viral replication.