Patent ID: 6017730
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: A61K,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
An immunogenic composition which comprises live nonpathogenic or attenuated pathogenic cells containing a gene whose expression results in the formation of an enzyme which is present and hydrolytically active in the cytoplasm of said cells, the cells further containing a regulatory nucleotide sequence which regulates the expression of said gene, the expression of said gene leading to formation of the enzyme in the cells at a rate which results in the hydrolysis of hydrolyzable cytoplasmic substances necessary for non-limited function of the cells, to an extent whereby the function of the cells is being limited, wherein the cells contain a further DNA not naturally related to the gene coding for the hydrolytically active enzyme or to the regulatory nucleotide sequence, which further sequence is a sequence coding for an immunogenic gene product, said product comprising at least one foreign pathogen-associated epitope, the cells being function-limited to an extent which, when the composition is administered to a human or to a nonhuman animal, allows the cells to express the immunogenic gene product for a period of time and in an amount sufficient to obtain an immune response in said human or nonhuman animal, but which does not allow the cells to persist in the human or the nonhuman animal.