A RECOMBINANT NON-REPLICATING VIRUS EXPRESSING GM-CSF AND USES THEREOF TO ENHANCE IMMUNE RESPONSES

摘要

Replication-defective recombinant poxvirus encoding granulocyte-macrophagecolony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) are disclosed for use in enriching animmunization site with antigen-presenting cells (APC), for enhancing animmunological response to antigen or immunlogical epitopes by functioning as abiological adjuvant, for prevention or treatment of neutropenia, and for thetreatment of myeloidysplastic syndromes. Compositions comprising a replication-defective recombinant virus encoding GM-CSF alone or in combination with arecombinant virus encoding an antigen and optionally encoding animmunostimulatory molecule are disclosed for enhancing antigen-specificimmunological responses, in particular enhancing tumor antigen responses foranti-tumor therapy. Methods for enriching an immunization site with APC andfor enhancing immunological responses to an antigen or immunological epitopeusing replication-defective recombinant poxvirus encoding GM-CSF aredisclosed. The superiority of the use of a replication-defective recombinantavian poxvirus encoding GM-CSF over the use of recombinant GM-CSF is described.