IMMUNE REGULATORY OLIGONUCLEOTIDE (IRO) COMPOUNDS TO MODULATE TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR BASED IMMUNE RESPONSE

1 .- 18 : (canceled)

19 : A method for treating a vertebrate having an disease comprising administering to the vertebrate an immune regulatory oligonucleotide (IRO) compound having the structure

5′-N m -N 3 N 2 N 1 CGN 1 N 2 N 3 -N m -3′:

wherein:

CG is an oligonucleotide motif that is CpG, C*pG, C*pG* or CpG*, wherein C is cytosine, C* is a pyrimidine nucleotide derivative, G is guanosine, and G* is a purine nucleotide derivative;

N 1 is a modified nucleoside that suppresses the activity of the oligonucleotide motif selected from the group consisting of 2′-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-O-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-substituted arabinoside, and 2′-O-substituted arabinoside;

N 2 -N 3 , at each occurrence, is independently i) a nucleotide, ii) a nucleotide derivative, or iii) a modified nucleoside that suppresses the activity of the oligonucleotide motif selected from the group consisting of 2′-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-O-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-substituted arabinoside, and 2′-O-substituted arabinoside;

N 1 -N 3 , at each occurrence, is independently i) a nucleotide, or ii) a nucleotide derivative;

N m and N m , at each occurrence, is independently a nucleotide, nucleotide derivative or non-nucleotide linkage;

and further provided that the compound contains less than 3 consecutive guanosine nucleotides;

wherein the oligonucleotide motif would be immune stimulatory but for the one or more modified nucleoside that suppresses the activity of the oligonucleotide motif;

wherein m is a number from 0 to about 30; and

wherein the IRO is an antagonist of agonist of TLR7, TLR8 and/or TLR9.

20 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the disease is cancer, an autoimmune disorder, airway inflammation, inflammatory disorders, infectious disease, skin disorders, allergy, asthma or a disease caused by a pathogen.

21 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the disease is an autoimmune disorder.

22 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the disease is an inflammatory disorder.

23 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the pyrimidine nucleotide derivative is 2′-deoxythymidine, 1-(2′-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl)-2-oxo-7-deaza-8-methyl-purine, 2′-dideoxy-5-halocytosine, 2′-dideoxy-5-nitrocytosine, arabinocytidine, 2′-deoxy-5-hydroxycytidine, 2′-deoxy-N4-alkyl-cytidine, 2′-deoxy-4-thiouridine, or other pyrimidine nucleoside analogs.

24 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the purine nucleotide derivative is 2′-deoxy-7-deazaguanosine, 2′-deoxy-6-thioguanosine, arabinoguanosine, 2′-deoxyinosine, or other purine nucleoside analogs.

25 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the oligonucleotide comprises a sequence selected from TCT GA CGTTCT (SEQ ID NO: 86), TCT GA CG 1 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 87), TCT GA CG 4 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 88), TCTCT GA CGTT (SEQ ID NO: 89), TCT GU CGTTCT (SEQ ID NO: 93), TCT GU CG 1 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 94), TCT GA CG 4 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 95), TCT GA CG 1 TT (SEQ ID NO: 96), UGU CG 1 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 100) and UGA CG 1 TTCT (SEQ ID NO: 101), wherein G 1 =7-deaza, G 4 =araG, and G , A or U =2′-OMe.

26 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein N 2 is a 2′-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-O-substituted ribonucleoside, 2′-substituted arabinoside, or 2′-O-substituted arabinoside.

27 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the 2′-O-substituted ribonucleoside of N 1 is a 2′-OMe-ribonucleoside.

28 : The method according to claim 26 , wherein the 2′-O-substituted ribonucleoside is a 2′-OMe-ribonucleoside.

29 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein CG is an oligonucleotide motif that is C*pG, C*pG* or CpG*.

30 : The method according to claim 19 , wherein the route of administration is parenteral, mucosal delivery, oral, sublingual, transdermal, topical, inhalation, intranasal, aerosol, intraocular, intratracheal, intrarectal, vaginal, by gene gun, dermal patch or in eye drop or mouthwash form.