FORIMMUN

RESEARCH NETWORK FOR NEW STRATEGIES IN IMMUNOTHERAPY

M4 M4 - CpG-DNA (Adjuvant) and protein (antigen) conjugate

Application:
As professional antigenpresenting cells, dendritic cells (DCs) take up protein antigen. For efficient T-Zell activation they process the antigen to T cell epitopes (signal 1), induce after activation signal2 (costimulation) and signal 3 (cytokines). Bacterial CpG-DNA activates DCs via TLR9 in lysosomal compartments. Covalent coupling of CpG-DNA to protein antigen enhances the adjuvant potency of CpG-DNA by 20 to 50 fold. To validate this new principle for therapeutic application in humans, we have to characterize the mechanisms of CpG-DNA-protein conjugate action on the immune system.