Abstract

The present invention relates to a method that allows for the production of bio-pharmaceutical proteins from the mammary gland of a non transgenic animal. The genes coding for such proteins are transferred to the mammary epithelial cells using adenoviral vectors. Said vectors can be based on replicative-deficient adenovirus, like ∆E1∆E3, or on helper-dependant adenoviruses from which all or almost all regulatory sequences have been eliminated. By means of the method described in the present invention the production, it is possible to produce high levels of recombinant protein in the milk allowing for the large-scale production of bio-pharmaceutical proteins in their biologically active form