Crustaceans as production systems for therapeutic proteins

A rotifer or part thereof, comprising a recombinant infectious virus, wherein the virus comprises a promoter that functions in the rotifer to allow expression of a gene encoding a polypeptide that is not native to the virus.

A recombinant infectious virus capable of infecting and replicating within a cell chosen from a crustacean cell and a rotifer cell, said virus comprising a promoter active in the crustacean cell or the rotifer cell, respectively, and further comprising a gene encoding a polypeptide that is not native to the virus.

A method of delivering a therapeutic polypeptide to a crustacean or rotifer, comprising

• (a) providing a recombinant, infectious virus;
• and
• (b) contacting the virus and crustacean or rotifer under conditions where the virus is internalized in the crustacean or rotifer, wherein the polypeptide is present in the virus or produced by the virus upon internalization in the crustacean or rotifer.

A method of producing an antigen in a crustacean or rotifer, comprising infecting the crustacean or rotifer with a recombinant infectious virus comprising genetic material that expresses the antigen.

A method of vaccinating a human or a non-human animal, comprising

• (a) infecting a crustacean or rotifer with a recombinant infectious virus;
• and
• (b) providing the crustacean or rotifer to the human or a non-human animal in an amount sufficient to elicit a protective immune response.

A method of treating a human or non-human animal in need of such treatment, comprising

• (a) infecting a crustacean or rotifer with a recombinant infectious virus comprising a therapeutic chosen from one or more proteins, peptides, antibodies, antibody fragments, virus-like particles, hormones, and vaccines, and further comprising a promoter that functions in the crustacean or rotifer to allow expression of the therapeutic;
• and
• (b) contacting the human or non-human animal with the crustacean or rotifer.