IC31, a novel adjuvant signaling via TLR9, induces potent cellular and humoral immune responses

IC31, the combination of a novel immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotide containing deoxy-Inosine/deoxy-Cytosine (ODN1a) and the antimicrobial peptide KLKL5KLK, represents a promising novel adjuvant signaling via the TLR9/MyD88-dependent pathway of the innate immune system. In mice, IC31 induces potent peptide-specific type 1 cellular immune responses, as well as mainly type 1 dominated proteinspecific cellular and humoral immune responses. In addition, cytotoxic T lymphocytes were induced, able to kill efficiently target cells in vivo. Activation of murine dendritic cells by IC31 induced efficiently proliferation of naive CD4(+) TCR transgenic T cells (DO. 11.10) as well as their differentiation into IFN-gamma- and IL-4-producing T cells in vitro. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.