Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, sodium salt

300px
Systematic (IUPAC) name
poly[(2R,3S,4R,5R)-5-(4-amino-2-oxopyrimidin-1-yl)-3,4-dihydroxyoxolan-2-yl]methyl dihydrogen phosphate;
Identifiers
CAS Number	24939-03-5 Y
ATC code	L03AX07 (WHO)
PubChem	CID: 32744
Chemical data
Formula	(C10H10N4NaO7P)x • (C9H11N3NaO7P)x
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (usually abbreviated poly I:C) is an immunostimulant. It is used in the form of its sodium salt to simulate viral infections.

Poly I:C is known to interact with toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), which is expressed in the membrane of B-cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. Poly I:C is structurally similar to double-stranded RNA, which is present in some viruses and is a "natural" stimulant of TLR3. Thus, Poly I:C can be considered a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA and is a common tool for scientific research on the immune system.

Chemistry

Poly I:C is a mismatched double-stranded RNA with one strand being a polymer of inosinic acid, the other a polymer of cytidylic acid.

Variants

Optimization of physicochemical properties of poly(I:C) has led to generation of derivatives that have increased stability in body fluids (such as polyICLC), or reduced toxicity through reduced stability in body fluids (such as poly(I:C₁₂U).

References

A New Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) Paradigm:Polarization into a Pro-Inflammatory MSC1 or anImmunosuppressive MSC2 Phenotype:Ruth S. Waterman1, Suzanne L. Tomchuck2, Sarah L. Henkle2, Aline M. Betancourt2:April 2010 | Volume 5 | Issue 4 | e10088