Method of inducing an immune response

Abstract

A method is provided for inducing or enhancing an immune response in a mammal to a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of the mammal, which method comprises administering to the mammal an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of a ribonucleic acid (RNA) which encodes said polypeptide. Also provided is a pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA which encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal, such that translation of an aberrant form of the target polypeptide occurs in said cells, said truncated form of the target polypeptide comprising one or more T cell epitopes; together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA which encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal, such that translation of an aberrant form of the target polypeptide occurs in said cells, said aberrant form of the target polypeptide comprising one or more T cell epitopes, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. 
     
     
         10 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitory nucleic acid which targets a region of an RNA which encodes a target polypeptide expressed in a plurality of cells of a mammal, such that such that at least a portion of the polypeptide, which portion comprises a T cell epitope, is presented on the surface of the cells bound to WIC, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. 
     
     
         11 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  wherein the target polypeptide is a tumour antigen. 
     
     
         12 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  wherein the target polypeptide is a viral antigen. 
     
     
         13 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  wherein the dose of inhibitory nucleic acid is insufficient to kill directly the cells expressing that target polypeptide. 
     
     
         14 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  wherein the inhibitory nucleic acid is an interfering RNA. 
     
     
         15 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  wherein at least one of the T cell epitopes is a CTL epitope. 
     
     
         16 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 9  comprising a plurality of said inhibitory nucleic acids, each inhibitory nucleic acid targeting a different region of said RNA. 
     
     
         17 . A method of killing tumour cells in a mammal which method comprises administering to the mammal the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         18 .- 23 . (canceled)