Genetic immunization with cationic lipids

1. A method for producing monoclonal antibodies, comprising: (a) mixing at least one cationic lipid with a polynucleotide, thereby forming a cationic lipid-polynucleotide complex, wherein said polynucleotide comprises a promoter operably linked to a DNA sequence coding for an immunogen; (b) administering said cationic lipid-polynucleotide complex to at least one mouse, thereby generating at least one immunized mouse; (c) removing B-lymphocytes from said at least one immunized mouse; (d) fusing said B-lymphocytes from said at least one immunized mouse with myeloma cells, thereby producing hybridomas; (e) cloning said hybridomas; (f) selecting positive clones which produce anti-immunogen antibody; (g) culturing said anti-immunogen antibody-producing clones; and (h) isolating anti-immunogen antibodies from said cultures.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said promoter is a SV40promoter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoter is an RSV promoter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said promoter is a CMV promoter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering is intraperitoneal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering is intranasal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering is intramuscular.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising: administering in vivo to said mouse 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 C 1-23 alkyl 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, n=0–6 or

X 2 is —(CH 2 ) n NH.sub.2, n=0–6 or

X 3 is —NH—(CH 2 ) m —NH 2 , m=2–6 or

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

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

X 6 is

X 7 is

X 8 is

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, PPD, or

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 —(CH2) s —S—S—(CH 2 ) t —NH 2 , wherein s is 0–6 and t is 2–6;

(ii) 5-carboxyispermyiglycine dioctadecylamide (DOGS);

(iii) dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine 5-carboxyspermylamide (DDPES);

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 and dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium bromide (DOPE).