Patent ID: 8877448

Claim:
A method for rescuing a chimeric recombinant influenza virus, wherein said chimeric recombinant influenza virus expresses heterologous nucleic acid sequences, comprising: (a) introducing expression vectors into cultured cells in the absence of helper virus, wherein said expression vectors direct expression of: (i) genomic influenza vRNA segments or antigenomic cRNAs of said genomic influenza vRNA segments, (ii) a genomic vRNA segment comprising heterologous nucleic acid sequences, or antigenomic cRNAs of said genomic vRNA segments comprising heterologous nucleic acid sequences, (iii) a nucleoprotein, and (iv) an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, so that ribonucleoprotein complexes are formed and viral particles of said virus are assembled in the absence of helper virus, wherein said heterologous nucleic acid sequences are inserted into a DNA complement of a influenza virus gene, wherein the DNA complement comprises a viral polymerase binding site, and a polyadenylation site, wherein said heterologous nucleic acid sequences are flanked by a viral polymerase binding site, and a polyadenylation site; and (b) culturing the cells of step (a), wherein viral particles are packaged and rescued.