Amphiphilic oligodeoxynucleotide conjugates as adjuvant enhancers

Abstract

Amphiphilic oligonucleotide conjugates that enhance adjuvant function are disclosed. The conjugates typically include: a lipophilic component, and conjugated thereto (directly or indirectly) an immunomodulating oligonucleotide that, if it were not conjugated to the lipophilic component, would suppress TLR7 and/or TLR8 stimulation. In the presence of albumin, these conjugates significantly enhance adjuvant function, in particular the function of TLR7/8-mediated adjuvants such as an imidazoquinolinamine. The conjugates can be administered, along with an adjuvant compound, to a subject in order to cause and/or enhance an immune response (for instance, to an infectious agent or a cancer antigen) in the subject.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.