Abstract: Replicons of pestiviruses, in particular replicons of swine fever virus, are engineered to have a defective replication thereby having lost infectivity, and further containing a foreign gene. A replicon contains all the genetic information required for its replication, but lacks essential codons or all codons of at least one of the genes encoding the viral structural proteins E1, E2, Ems or C protein, and consequently cannot generate infectious virus particles. Particular replicons are generated with a mutated gene encoding a modified Npro protein that no longer controls the cell interferon-induction pathway. Another particular replicon lacks the genes encoding all the structural proteins, the p7 protein and the NS2 protein, and has cytopathogenic properties in transduced cells. The replicons provide a new vector system that can be used for vaccination, gene delivery and gene therapy applications in mammals, including humans, as naked RNA or packaged into any form of delivery vehicle.

Abstract: Replicons of pestiviruses, in particular replicons of swine fever virus, are engineered to have a defective replication thereby having lost infectivity, and further containing a foreign gene. A replicon contains all the genetic information required for its replication, but lacks essential codons or all codons of at least one of the genes encoding the viral structural proteins E1, E2, Ems or C protein, and consequently cannot generate infectious virus particles. Particular replicons are generated with a mutated gene encoding a modified Npro protein that no longer controls the cell interferon-induction pathway. Another particular replicon lacks the genes encoding all the structural proteins, the p7 protein and the NS2 protein, and has cytopathogenic properties in transduced cells. The replicons provide a new vector system that can be used for vaccination, gene delivery and gene therapy applications in mammals, including humans, as naked RNA or packaged into any form of delivery vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention concerns replicons of pestiviruses, in particular replicons of swine fever virus, engineered to have a defective replication thereby having lost infectivity, and further containing a foreign gene. A replicon of the invention contains all the genetic information required for its replication, but lacks essential codons or all codons of at least one of the genes encoding the viral structural proteins E1, E2, Ems or C protein, and consequently cannot generate infectious virus particles. Particular replicons are generated with a mutated gene encoding a modified Npro protein that no longer controls the cell interferon-induction pathway. Another particular replicon lacks the genes encoding all the structural proteins, the p7 protein and the NS2 protein, and has cytopathogenic properties in transduced cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound comprising a polyelectrolyte and, covalently linked thereto, an immunological adjuvant and/or cell targeting ligand, wherein the covalently linked entity can have both adjuvant and cell targeting characteristics. The compound is used in the preparation of hydrophilic vaccine nanoparticles, which preferably have an antigenic compound or therapeutic agent, or genetic information encoding such compounds or agents entrapped in their matrix, or covalently linked to their surfaces. Vaccine compositions comprising the particles of the invention are advantageous, because a strong and long-lasting immune response is obtained following administration of a single dose. In a preferred embodiment, the polyelectrolyte of the compound is an anionic polymer, and the particle comprises a matrix comprising chitosan.

Abstract: The present invention concerns replicons of pestiviruses, in particular replicons of swine fever virus, engineered to have a defective replication thereby having lost infectivity, and further containing a foreign gene. A replicon of the invention contains all the genetic information required for its replication, but lacks essential codons or all codons of at least one of the genes encoding the viral structural proteins E1, E2, Ems or C protein, and consequently cannot generate infectious virus particles. Particular replicons are generated with a mutated gene encoding a modified Npro protein that no longer controls the cell interferon-induction pathway. Another particular replicon lacks the genes encoding all the structural proteins, the p7 protein and the NS2 protein, and has cytopathogenic properties in transduced cells.