Chimeric immunomodulatory compounds and methods of using the same—I

1. A chimeric immunostimulatory compound (CIC) comprising the structure N 1 -S 1 -N 2 -N 3 ,

wherein N 1 , N 2 , and N 3 are independently selected nucleic acid moieties comprising 3 to 7 bases, at least one of N 1 , N 2 , and N 3 has the sequence 5′-[(X) 0-2 ]TCG[(X) 2-4 ]-3′, wherein each X is an independently selected nucleotide;

wherein S 1 is a non-nucleic acid spacer moiety covalently bound to N 1 and N 2 ; S 2 is a non-nucleic acid spacer moiety covalently bound to N 2 and N 3 ; S 1 and S 2 are the same or different; each of S 1 and S 2 comprises hexaethylene glycol (HEG), triethylene glycol (TEG), propyl, or butyl; and

wherein said CIC has at least one immunostimulatory activity selected from the group consisting of (i) the ability to stimulate interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and (ii) the ability to stimulate interferon-alpha (IFN-α) production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

2. The CIC of claim 1 wherein at least one of S 1 and S 2 is a HEG spacer moiety.

3. The CIC of claim 2 wherein both S 1 and S 2 are HEG spacer moieties.

4. The CIC of claim 1 wherein at least one of N 1 and N 3 has a sequence 5′-TCG[(X) 2-4 ]-3′.

5. The CIC of claim 1 wherein at least one of N 1 and N 3 has a sequence 5′-TCG(A/T)[(X) 1-3 ]-3′.

6. The CIC of claim 5 wherein at least one of N 1 and N 3 has a sequence 5′-TCG(A/T)CG(A/T)-3′.

7. The CIC of claim 6 wherein at least one nucleic acid moiety comprises the sequence 5′-TCGACGT-3′ or 5′-TCGTCGA-3′.

8. The CIC of claim 3 wherein at least one of N 1 and N 3 has a sequence 5′-TCG(A/T)[(X) 1-3 ]-3′.

9. The CIC of claim 8 wherein at least one of N 1 and N 3 has a sequence 5′-TCG(A/T)CG(A/T)-3′.

10. The CIC of claim 9 wherein at least one nucleic acid moiety comprises the sequence 5′-TCGACGT-3′ or 5′-TCGTCGA-3′.

11. The CIC of claim 1 , where the linkages between nucleotides of the nucleic acid moieties and between the nucleic acid moieties and the nonnucleic acid spacer moieties comprise one or more linkages selected from the group consisting of phosphodiester linkages, phosphorothioate ester linkages, and phosphorodithioate ester linkages.

12. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

13. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 1 and further comprising an antigen.

14. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 1 and further comprising a cationic microsphere.

15. The composition of claim 14 wherein the microsphere comprises a polymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid.

16. A CIC of claim 1 comprising a reactive linking group.

17. A CIC of claim 16 comprising a reactive thio group.

18. A CIC of claim 1 linked to a polypeptide.

19. The CIC of claim 11 having a structure selected from the group consisting of

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′

5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCG-3′

5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-AACGTT-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′-TEG

HEG-5′-TCGTCG-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′-TEG

5′-TCGTTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTTTT-3′

5′-TCGTCGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGT-3′

5′-TCGAGAT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAGAT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCGT-3′-HEG-5′-TGTCGTT-3′-HEG-5′-TGTCGTT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′-HEG-5′-GGGGGG-3′

5′-TCGAACG-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAACG-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAACG-3′

5′-TCGACGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGACGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGACGT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-AACGTTC-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-AACGTTC-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-AGATGAT-3′-HEG-5′-ACGTTCG-3′

5′-TCGACTC-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAGCG-3′-HEG-5′-TTCTCTT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-3′-AGCTGCT-5′

5′-TCGAT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGAT-3′

5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-TCGTCGA-3′-HEG-5′-AACGTTC-3′-HEG-5′-AGAT-3′

5′-TCGACGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGACGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGACGT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGACGT-3′

5′-TCGATTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGATTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGATTT-3′

5′-TCGCTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGCTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGCTTT-3′

5′-TCGGTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGGTTT-3′-HEG-5′-TCGGTTT-3′.

20. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 19 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

21. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 19 and further comprising an antigen.

22. A composition comprising a CIC of claim 19 and further comprising a cationic microsphere.

23. The composition of claim 22 wherein the microsphere comprises a polymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid.

24. A CIC of claim 19 further comprising a reactive thio group.

25. A CIC of claim 19 linked to a polypeptide.