CODON-OPTIMZED HEPATITIS B VIRUS CORE ANTIGEN (HBCAG)
A needle device for the delivery of therapeutic material into tissue comprising a connection to a pressure generation element, a lumen adapted for the passage of a therapeutic material, and a needle barrel, wherein each needle barrel comprises an opening adapted to control and deliver a pressure transmitted from the pressure generation element into a tissue to cause an increase in the permeability of a cell membrane to the therapeutic material.
1 . A hypodermic needle assembly comprising a plurality of needles, wherein each needle comprises:
a lumen adapted for the passage of a therapeutic material,
a needle barrel that comprises a plurality of apertures on the length of the needle barrel, wherein said needle barrel has a closed-end,
wherein at least two needles of the hypodermic needle assembly have different positions of apertures; and
wherein said hypodermic needle assembly further comprises a connector ( 700 ) configured to join said plurality of needles to a pressure generation element.
2 - 11 . (canceled)
12 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said hypodermic needle assembly comprises a circular, diamond, or ovoid array of said needles.
13 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of said needles is configured such that the apertures on the needle barrels face each other.
14 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of said needles is configured such that all of the apertures are configured to oppose another aperture on a different needle.
15 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said needle assembly further comprises a pressure generation element joined to said hypodermic needle assembly.
16 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 15 , wherein the pressure generation element is a syringe.
17 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein a needle barrel is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the device and said needle barrel comprises apertures that face away from the center or longitudinal axis of the device and additional needle barrels comprise apertures that face inward toward the center.
18 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein least two needles comprise a plurality of apertures that are configured to direct the pressurized agent towards the longitudinal axis of the device.
19 . The hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising control circuitry to generate an electric current or an electromagnetic field, whereby one or more needle barrels transmit the generated current or field into a tissue.
20 . A method of using the hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 to deliver a nucleic acid to a tissue comprising:
providing the hypodermic needle assembly of claim 1 , wherein said hypodermic needle assembly has a nucleic acid within the lumen of said plurality of needles;
introducing said plurality of needles of said hypodermic needle assembly into a tissue; and
delivering said nucleic acid from said lumen of said plurality of needles into said tissue.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises a sequence that encodes a hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen or both.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises a sequence that encodes an HCV NS3 antigen.
23 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises a sequence that encodes an HBV core antigen.
24 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises a sequence that encodes an HCV NS3 antigen and an HBV core antigen.