Patent ID: 8778351

Claim:
A method of inducing an immune response against a pathogen comprising: first administering to a patient an effective amount of a virus-like particle (“VLP”) comprising a papillomavirus L1 protein or polypeptide and a chimeric protein or polypeptide, the chimeric protein or polypeptide comprising a papillomavirus L2 polypeptide and a protein or polypeptide fragment comprising a first pathogen-specific epitope, which VLP is devoid of DNA; and second administering to the patient a DNA molecule encoding a protein or polypeptide comprising the pathogen-specific epitope, wherein delivery of the DNA molecule is not dependent on VLP-mediated uptake; wherein said first and second administering are carried out at about the same time and are effective to induce a synergistic immune response against the pathogen, as compared to the first and second administering alone.