Progress in drug development of immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotide ligands for TLR9

Abstract

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) with unmethylated deoxycytosine-deoxyguanosine (CpG) motifs are recognised by Toll-like receptor (TLR)9 expressed in s-pecialised cell subsets of the human immune system, B cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. TLR9-mediated stimulation of the immune system leads to a plethora of directed effects linking innate to adaptive immune responses. This allows the use of TLR9 agonists as highly effective targeted immuno-modulatory drugs with broad potential applications as vaccine adjuvants, stand-alone therapy or in combination with other therapies in cancer, infectious diseases or asthma and allergy. TLR9 agonists represent a new class of small (8 – 30 bases long), easily synthesised, non-antisense ODN pharmaceuticals.

Keywords::

• CPG 10101
• CPG 7909
• CpG oligodeoxynucleotide
• therapeutics
• TLR
• TLR9