REPLICONS DERIVED FROM POSITIVE STRAND RNA VIRUS GENOMES USEFUL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HETEROLOGOUS PROTEINS

摘要

The present invention relates to replicons or self-replicating RNA molecules, derived from the genome of cardioviruses and aphtoviruses, which can be used to express heterologous proteins in animal cells. When injected in an animal host, for example in the form of naked RNA, these replicons permit the translation of the encoded heterologous protein. If the encoded heterologous protein is a foreign antigen, these replicons induce an immune response against the encoded heterologous protein. The invention uses cardiovirus and aphtovirus genomes to construct these replicons. The invention demonstrates that these replicons, when injected as naked RNA, can induce immune responses against a replicon-encoded heterologous protein in an animal recipient without the help of any kind of carrier or adjuvant.