Abstract: A method for determining an optimized nucleotide sequence encoding a predetermined amino acid sequence, wherein the nucleotide sequence is optimized for expression in a host cell, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: (a) generating a plurality of candidate nucleotide sequences encoding the predetermined amino acid sequence; (b) obtaining a sequence score based on a scoring function based on a plurality of sequence features that influence protein expression in the host cell using a statistical machine learning algorithm, wherein the plurality of sequence features comprises one or more sequence features selected from the group consisting of protein per time, average elongation rate and accuracy for each of the plurality of candidate nucleotide sequences of step (a); and (c) determining the candidate nucleotide sequence with optimized protein expression in the host cell as the optimized nucleotide sequence.

Abstract: The invention relates to bacterial promoter elements which constitute or which are comprised in promoter regions and which confer tumour specificity to the promoter region activity, resulting in transcription of a transgene, which can be a heterologous or a homologous gene, which transgene is functionally arranged downstream of the promoter region at presence of a host bacterium in tumour tissue, while essentially conferring inactivity of the promoter region and no transcription at presence of the host bacterium in non-tumour tissue. Accordingly, the invention relates to bacterial promoter regions containing these tumour specific promoter elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination of compounds for introducing nucleic acids and/or protein into animal cells, tissue, organs or organisms in vitro, extracorporal, or in vivo. This combination comprises preparations suitable for administration to an animal or human for medical purposes, comprising as one component a bacterial vector genetically manipulated to contain nucleic acid sequences comprising a transgene, and a second component for the subsequent transcription, possibly translation of the transgene by controlled induction of bacterial vector as it is present within the animal or human.

Abstract: The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for use in tumor therapy as well as a medical treatment in tumor therapy. The compositions comprise a leukocyte diminishing and/or leukocyte inactivating agent for use in bacterial tumor therapy in combination. Preferably, the leukocyte inactivating or diminishing agents are expressed by the bacteria used for the production of a pharmaceutical composition for bacterial tumor therapy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination of compounds for introducing nucleic acids and/or protein into animal cells, tissue, organs or organisms in vitro, extracorporal, or in vivo. This combination comprises preparations suitable for administration to an animal or human for medical purposes, comprising as one component a bacterial vector genetically manipulated to contain nucleic acid sequences comprising a transgene, and a second component for the subsequent transcription, possibly translation of the transgene by controlled induction of bacterial vector as it is present within the animal or human.