Disclosed are methods for suppressing the innate immune response of a cell to transfection with an exogenous nucleic acid. Further disclosed are methods for increasing expression of a protein encoded by an exogenous nucleic acid by repeated delivery of the exogenous nucleic acid to a cell, and methods of changing the phenotype of a cell by differentiating, transdifferentiating or dedifferentiating cells by repeatedly delivering one or more nucleic acids that encode defined proteins. A method is provided for extended transient transfection by repeated delivery of an in vitro-transcribed RNA ("ivT-RNA) to a cell to achieve a high and sustained level of expression of a protein encoded by an ivT-RNA transcripts.
