Genetic immunization with cationic lipids

1. A method for producing polyclonal antibodies to an immunogen in a non-human animal, comprising:

(a) mixing at least one cationic lipid with a polynucleotide coding for said immunogen, thereby forming a cationic lipid-polynucleotide complex;

(b) administering said cationic lipid-polynucleotide complex to said animal; and

(c) isolating said polyclonal antibodies from said animal.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is a recombinant RNA molecule comprising:

(a) a regulatory sequence; and

(b) an RNA sequence coding for said immunogen, wherein the expression of said RNA sequence is under the control of said regulatory sequence.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said regulatory sequence is a viral, prokaryotic or mammalian regulatory sequence.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said regulatory sequence comprises a promoter sequence capable of regulating expression of said RNA sequence.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is a recombinant DNA molecule comprising:

(a) a regulatory sequence; and

(b) a DNA sequence coding for said immunogen, wherein the transcription of said DNA sequence is under the control of said regulatory sequence.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said regulatory sequence is a viral, prokaryotic or mammalian regulatory sequence.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said regulatory sequence comprises a promoter sequence capable of regulating expression of said DNA sequence.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said promoter is an SV40 promoter.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said promoter is an RSV promoter.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said promoter is a CMV promoter.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising administering in vivo to said animal an antibody immune response effective amount of said cationic lipid-polynucleotide complex comprising said at least one cationic lipid and said polynucleotide, wherein

(a) said polynucleotide is expressed in said animal in sufficient amounts to elicit said antibody immune response to said immunogen;

(b) said administering is by a parenteral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intranasal or intraperitoneal route; and

(c) said cationic lipid is selected from the group consisting of

(i) a cationic lipid according to formula I:

wherein R 1 and R 2 separately or together are C1-23 alkyl or

or alkyl or alkenyl;

wherein q is 1 to 6;

Z 1 and Z 2 separately or together are H or unbranched alkyl C 1-6 ;

X 2 is —(CH 2 ) n NH 2 wherein n=0-6;

X 3 is —NH—(CH 2 ) m —NH 2 wherein m=2-6;

X 4 is —NH—(CH 2 ) 3 —NH—(CH 2 ) 4 —NH 2 ;

X 5 is —NH—(CH 2 ) 3 —NH—(CH 2 ) 4 —NH(CH 2 ) 3 —NH 2 ;

wherein p is 2-5, Y is H or an alkyl group attached by an amide or an alkyl amino group;

X 9 is polylysine, polyarginine, polybrene, histone or protamine;

X 10 is biotin, folic acid

or PPD;

X 11 is a polysaccharide or substituted polysaccharide;

X 12 is a protein;

X 13 is an antibody;

X 14 is an amine;

X 15 is —(CH 2 ) r —SH, wherein r is 0-6; and

X 16 is —(CH 2 ) s —S—S—(CH 2 ) t —NH 2 , wherein s is 0-6 and t is 2-6;

(ii) 5-carboxylspermylglycine dioctadecylamide (DOGS);

wherein R=CH 3 (CH 2 ) 17 ;

(iii) dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine 5-carboxyspermylamide (DPPES);

wherein R=CH 3 (CH 2 ) 15 ;

(iv) a cationic cholesterol derivative (DC-Chol);

(v) a lipopolylysine;

(vi) a dioleoyl ether or ester analog of a Rosenthal inhibitor, wherein said analog is a DORI-ether having dioleoyl moieties linked by an ether linkage to a propylamine core, or a DORI-ester having dioleoyl moieties linked by an ester linkage to a propylamine core; and

(vii) a liposome formulation of dimethyldiodadecyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE).

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one cationic lipid comprises a cationic lipid selected from the group consisting of a trimethylammonium cationic lipid, a hydroxyethyl ammonium cationic lipid, a carboxyspermine conjugate cationic lipid, a cholesterol derivative cationic lipid, a lipopolylysine cationic lipid, and a cationic lipid compound according to formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 separately or together are C 1-23 alkyl or

or alkyl or alkenyl;

wherein q is 1 to 6;

Z 1 and Z 2 separately or together are H or unbranched alkyl C 1-6 ;

X 1 is —(CH 2 ) n Br, Cl, F or I, where n=0-6;

X 2 is —(CH 2 ) n NH 2 , where n=0-6;

X 3 is —NH—(CH 2 ) m —NH 2 , where m=2-6;

X 4 is —NH—(CH 2 ) 3 —NH—(CH 2 ) 4 —NH 2 ;

X 5 is —NH—(CH 2 ) 3 —NH—(CH 2 ) 4 —NH(CH 2 ) 3 —NH 2 ;

where p is 2-5, Y is H or other groups attached by amide or alkyl amino group;

X 9 is a polyamine;

X 10 is a reporter molecule;

X 11 is a polysaccharide or substituted polysaccharide;

X 12 is a protein;

X 13 is an antibody;

X 14 is an amine or halide reactive group;

X 15 is —(CH 2 ) r —SH, where r is 0-6; and

X 16 is —(CH 2 ) s —S—S—(CH 2 ) t —NH2, where s is 0-6 and t is 2-6.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said trimethylammonium cationic lipid is selected from N-(1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA) or 1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-3-(trimethylammonia)propane (DOTAP).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said cationic lipid is selected from the group consisting of 5-carboxyspermylglycine dioctadecylamide (DOGS) and dipalmitylphosphatidylethanolamine 5-carboxyspermylamide (DPPES).

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said cholesterol derivative cationic lipid has the structure:

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said animal is a mouse.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said administering is intraperitoneal.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein said administering is intranasal.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein said administering is intramuscular.