Lipid-mediated polynucleotide administration to deliver a biologically active peptide and to induce a cellular immune response

1. A method of producing an immune response in a vertebrate, comprising:

administering in vivo into a tissue of said vertebrate a composition comprising a polynucleotide encoding an immunogen, said polynucleotide being complexed with a cationic lipid;

wherein said polynucleotide is taken up into the cells of said vertebrate;

wherein said immunogen is expressed in an amount sufficient to produce said immune response;

wherein said polynucleotide is messenger RNA or is nonintegrating, non-replicating DNA comprising a promoter operably linked to a sequence encoding said immunogen;

wherein said immunogen is a peptide associated with a tumor cell; and

wherein said immune response is selected from the group consisting of a detectable humoral response, a detectable cellular response, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is DNA comprising a promoter operably linked to a sequence encoding said immunogen.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of a Rous sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (RSV LTR), a mycloproliferative sarcoma virus long terminal repeat (MPSV LTR), a simian virus 40 immediate early promoter (SV40IEP), a metallothionein promoter, and a human cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter (CMV IEP).

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said polynucleotide is a plasmid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition is administered to the interstitial space of one or more tissues selected from the group consisting of muscle, skin, liver, spleen, and blood.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition is administered by injection.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said composition is injected into muscle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide encodes an immunogenic polypeptide, wherein said immunogenic polypeptide is presented in the context of a class I major histocompatibility antigen, a class II major histocompatibility antigen, or a combination of class I and class II major histocompatibility antigens.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said vertebrate is a mammal, a fish, or a bird.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said vertebrate is a mammal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said mammal is a human.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cationic lipid comprises one or more saturated or unsaturated alkyl groups having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cationic lipid comprises a quaternary ammonium group.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said cationic lipid has a formula selected from the group consisting of:

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are C 6 to C 22 alkyl or C 6 to C 22 alkenyl;

R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are the same or different and are C 1 to C 8 alkyl, aryl, C 7 to C 11 aralkyl, or two or three of R 3 , R 4 and R 1 can be taken together to form quinuclidino, piperidino, pyrrolidino, or morpholino;

n is 1 to 8; and

X − is a pharmaceutically acceptable anion; and

wherein

R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and are C 5 to C 21 alkyl or C 5 to C 21 alkenyl;

R 3 , R 4 R 5 are the same or different and are C 1 to C 8 alkyl, aryl, C 7 to C 11 aralkyl, or two or three of R 3 , R 4 and R 5 can be taken together to form quinuclidino, piperidino, pyrrolidino or morpholino;

n is 1 to 8; and

X − is a pharmaceutically acceptable anion.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said cationic lipid is selected from the group consisting of N-(2,3-di-(9-(Z)-octadecenyloxy))-prop-1-yl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA) and 1,2-bis(oleoyloxy)-3-(trimethylammonio)propane (DOTAP).