Patent ID: 7196066

Claim:
A method for eliciting an immune response in a vertebrate subject, said method comprising: administering core carriers coated with a vector construct to a subject using a particle-mediated transdermal delivery technique, wherein (a) the vector construct carries an HSV genomic DNA fragment or HSV genomic DNA fragments, the fragment or fragments expressing HSV antigens consisting essentially of those encoded by the HSV immediate early genes ICP 27, ICP 0, ICP 4 and ICP 22; (b) the ICP 27, ICP 0, ICP 4 and ICP 22 antigens are expressed in the subject in an amount sufficient to elicit an immune response; and (c) the vector construct is selected from the group consisting of (i) a plasmid comprising an HSV genomic DNA fragment which is, or HSV genomic DNA fragments which collectively are, between about 5 kilobases and about 25 kilobases in size and (ii) a cosmid comprising a HSV genomic DNA fragment which is, or HSV genomic DNA fragments which collectively are, between about 25 kilobases and about 50 kilobases in size.