CpG oligodeoxynucleotide

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) are synthetic DNA sequences containing unmethylated cytosine-guanine motifs that act as potent immunostimulatory agents. Developed and utilized by the Mayo Clinic as an adjuvant in cancer immunotherapy, specifically for breast cancer, these molecules function as agonists for Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). TLR9 is primarily expressed in B cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells; its activation triggers an innate immune response characterized by the production of Th1-type cytokines, such as interferon-alpha and interleukin-12, which in turn promotes a robust adaptive cellular immune response. In clinical trials conducted by the Mayo Clinic, CpG ODN (specifically the ODN-1826 sequence) has been combined with MUC1 and HER-2/neu peptide vaccines and GM-CSF to enhance the immunogenicity of the vaccines in patients with previously treated stage II/III breast cancer.

Other names

CpG ODNCpG-DNACpG motifsimmunostimulatory DNA