Methods of inducing a CD8+ T cell response to a heterologons antigen in which at least 10% of the CD8+ T cells are MHC-E restricted are disclosed. The method involves immunizing with a CMV vector that does not express UL128 and UL130 proteins. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, a UL40 protein, and a US28 protein but that do not express an active UL128 and UL130 protein. Also, disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but that do not express an active UL40 protein, UL128 protein, UL130 protein, and optionally a US28 protein. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding a heterologous protein antigen, but that do not express an active US28 protein, UL128 protein, UL130 protein, and optionally a UL40 protein.

Disclosed herein are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an active UL128 protein and an active UL130 protein. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an inactive UL128 protein and an inactive UL130 protein. Also disclosed are methods of generating an unconventional immune response using these vectors. Such an immune response is characterized by generation of a CD8+ T cell response that is predominantly restricted by MHC-II.

Methods, reporter gene constructs, and kits for using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) as an imaging reporter to image a variety of cells and tissues are provided.

In one aspect, the present invention provides recombinant polynucleotides. In some embodiments, the recombinant polynucleotides comprise a cytomegalovirus (CMV) genome, or a portion thereof, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen, wherein the CMV genome or portion thereof comprises a mutation within a interleukin-10-like gene sequence. Methods for preventing and treating diseases such as infectious diseases and cancer are also provided herein.

Disclosed herein are vector systems for expression of polypeptides in eukaryotic cells; and methods of obtaining high-level expression of polypeptides in a eukaryotic cell. Methods and compositions for obtaining stable, long-term expression of recombinant polypeptides are also provided

Disclosed herein are recombinant CMV vectors which may comprise a heterologous antigen that can repeatedly infect an organism while inducing a CD8+ T cell response to immunodominant epitopes of the heterologous antigen. The CMV vector may comprise a deleterious mutation in the US11 glycoprotein or a homolog thereof.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for treatment of Batten disease. Such compositions include a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), said rAAV comprising an AAV capsid, and a vector genome packaged therein, said vector genome comprising (a) an AAV 5 inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequence; (b) a promoter; (c) a CLN2 coding sequence encoding a human TPP1; (d) an AAV 3 ITR.

Disclosed are CMV vectors that lack active UL128, UL130, UL146 and UL147 proteins that may also comprise one or more microRNA regulatory elements (MRE) that restrict expression of the CMV. Immunization with the disclosed CMV vectors allow selection of different CD8+ T cell responsesCD8+ T cells restricted by MHC-Ia, MHC-II, or by MHC-E.

Disclosed herein are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an active UL128 protein and an active UL130 protein. Also disclosed are recombinant CMV vectors comprising heterologous antigens and microRNA recognition elements to silence expression of CMV genes in the presence of microRNA derived from myeloid cells, an inactive UL128 protein and an inactive UL130 protein. Also disclosed are methods of generating an unconventional immune response using these vectors. Such an immune response is characterized by generation of a CD8+ T cell response that is predominantly restricted by MHC-II.

The invention relates to a viral expression construct and related viral vector and composition and to their use wherein said construct and vector comprise elements a) and b):

a) a nucleotide sequence encoding an insulin operably linked to a first promoter,
b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a glucokinase operably linked to a second promoter and said viral expression construct and related viral vector comprise at least one of elements c), d) and e):
c) the first and the second promoters are positioned in reverse orientation within the expression construct,
d) the first and the second promoters are positioned in reverse orientation within the expression construct and are located adjacent to each other and
e) the first promoter is a CMV promoter, preferably a mini CMV promoter.