Abstract: The present invention provides a drug delivery vehicle that can improve the pharmacokinetics of pharmacological agents. The invention relates to a multifunctional carrier capable of delivering a carried material such as a pharmacological agent or genetic material to a recipient. The multifunctional carrier includes a multifunctional core and a plurality of adduct molecules bonded thereto. The molecular carrier has surface functional groups which can be associated with a carried material. The carried material can be associated with the molecular carrier through covalent interactions or ionic interactions. The polyvalent core can be ethylene-diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) or succinic acid. The invention also relates to methods for producing and using such molecules.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved methods for the treatment or prevention of disease with gene therapy or vaccines comprising host optimized GM-CSF nucleic acid sequences. More particularly, the invention provides methods for codon optimized GM-CSF with enhanced expression and adjuvant activity ex vivo and in vivo. The present invention also provides for methods of optimizing homologous gene expression ex vivo and in vitro or in transgenic animals.