Patent ID: 7176186

Claim:
An in vivo method of treating a mammalian host capable of generating an immune response, which comprises: (a) generating a DNA fragment which expresses an antigenic protein or antigenic protein fragment; (b) distributing said DNA fragment on a particle surface, resulting in a particulate polynucleotide; (c) inoculating said mammalian host with said particulate polynucleotide by direct injection; and, (d) delivering said particulate polynucleotide to the cytoplasm of an antigen presenting cell within said mammalian host, such that said expressed antigenic protein or antigenic protein fragment is presented to the membrane surface of said antigen presenting cell through the MHC class I pathway, wherein said presentation of said antigenic protein or protein fragment elicits an anti-tumor or anti-viral immune response in said host that destroys neoplastic or virally infected cells.