Methods to Increase Transgene Expression From Bacterial-Based Delivery Systems by Co-Expressing Suppressors of the Eukaryotic Type I Interferon Response

A method for inducing an immune response to one or more antigens of interest in a mammal, comprising the step of

• administering to said mammal a genetically engineered bacterium, comprising
• nucleic acid sequences encoding said one or more antigens of interest;
• and
• nucleic acid sequences encoding one or more factors that inhibit a mammalian type I interferon response,
• wherein said nucleic acid sequences encoding said one or more antigens of interest are operably linked to a eukaryotic promoter, and said nucleic acid sequences encoding said one or more factors that inhibit a mammalian type I interferon response are operably linked to a eukaryotic promoter or a prokaryotic promoter, and
• wherein said step of administering is carried out under conditions which allow said genetically engineered bacterium to invade a cell or tissue in said mammal, and which allow said cell or tissue to produce an immune response to said one or more antigens of interest.

A recombinant bacterial vector, comprising:

• a bacterium genetically transformed with
• one or more genetically engineered nucleic acid sequences coding for a host cell or tissue type 1 interferon (IFN) response suppressor factor, and
• one or more genetically engineered nucleic acids coding for one or more host cell or tissue active amino acid sequences,
• wherein said one or more genetically engineered nucleic acids coding for said one or more host cell or tissue active amino acid sequences are over expressed upon said bacterium invading said host cell or tissue.