Patent ID: 7604803

Claim:
A method of generating an immune response in a mammal by administering to the mammal a composition for the co-delivery to a cell of a nucleic acid and an assistor protein, wherein the nucleic acid operatively encodes an antigenic protein or portion thereof which shares at least one epitope with the assistor protein, wherein said composition comprises liposomes formed from liposome-forming materials and said liposomes are associated with said nucleic acid and said assistor protein, the liposomes having an average diameter in the range of 100-2000 nm, which liposomes are not polymerized and are based substantially on phospholipids, wherein the nucleic acid encoding said antigenic protein and the assistor protein are associated with the same liposomes; the antigenic protein and the assistor protein are from an infectious agent; the nucleic acid is entrapped in the intravesicular space of the liposomes; the assistor protein in antigenic form is displayed on the surface of the liposomes; the liposomes lack any further cell targeting moiety; the liposomes include at least one cationically charged component such that the liposomes have an overall positive charge; the nucleic acid and the assistor protein are present in a weight ratio in the range of 1000:1 to 1:1; and the immune response comprises an antibody response specific to the antigenic protein or assistor protein or both.