Inventors:
Dong Yu - Westboro MA, US
Ekambar Kandimalla - Southboro MA, US
Qiuyan Zhao - Southboro MA, US
Sudhir Agrawal - Shrewsbury MA, US
International Classification:
A61K048/00, C12Q001/68
Abstract:
Bacterial DNA and synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing unmethylated CpG-motifs in a particular sequence context activate vertebrate immune cells. We examined the significance of negatively charged internucleoside linkages in the flanking sequences 5′ and 3′ to the CpG-motif on immunostimulatory activity. Cell proliferation and secretion of IL-12 and IL-6 in mouse spleen cell cultures, and spleen weights of mice increased significantly when a non-ionic linkage was placed at least four or more internucleoside linkages away from the CpG-motif in the 5′-flanking sequence. When the non-ionic linkage was placed closer than three internucleoside linkages in the 5′-flanking sequence to the CpG-motif, immunostimulatory activity was suppressed compared with that observed with the unmodified parent oligo. In general, the placement of non-ionic linkage in the 3′-flanking sequence to the CpG-motif either did not affect or slightly increased immunostimulatory activity compared with the parent oligo. These results have significance in understanding CpG oligonucleotide-receptor interactions and the development of potent immunomodulatory agents.