Neutralizing factors as vaccine adjuvants
The present invention is a vaccine adjuvant composed of a vaccinia virus vector that encodes a polypeptides capable of neutralizing immune suppressive factors thereby enhancing or stimulating an immune response to a vaccine.
1 . A vaccine adjuvant comprising a vaccinia virus vector encoding at least one polypeptide that neutralizes an immune suppressive factor.
2 . A method for enhancing an immune response to a vaccine comprising administering a vaccine in combination with the vaccine adjuvant of claim 1 to a subject so that the cells of the subject express the at least one polypeptide thereby enhancing an immune response to the vaccine in the subject.
3 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising administering a second vaccinia virus vector encoding an immune active cytokine.
4 . A kit comprising a formulated vaccine adjuvant of claim 1.