Patent 11504425 was granted and assigned to Wayne State University Press on November, 2022 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Amphiphilic oligonucleotide conjugates that enhance adjuvant function are disclosed. The conjugates typically include: a lipophilic component, and conjugated thereto (directly or indirectly) an immunomodulating oligonucleotide that, if it were not conjugated to the lipophilic component, would suppress TLR7 and/or TLR8 stimulation. In the presence of albumin, these conjugates significantly enhance adjuvant function, in particular the function of TLR7/8-mediated adjuvants such as an imidazoquinolinamine. The conjugates can be administered, along with an adjuvant compound, to a subject in order to cause and/or enhance an immune response (for instance, to an infectious agent or a cancer antigen) in the subject.