Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (usually abbreviated poly I:C or poly(I:C)) is an

immunostimulant Immunostimulants, also known as immunostimulators, are substances (drugs and nutrients) that stimulate the immune system by inducing activation or increasing activity of any of its components. One notable example is the granulocyte macrophage colon ...

. 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 at the endosomal membrane of

B-cells B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell of the lymphocyte subtype. They function in the humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system. B cells produce antibody molecules which may be either secreted or ...

, 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 Synthetic things are composed of multiple parts, often with the implication that they are artificial. In particular, 'synthetic' may refer to: Science * Synthetic chemical or compound, produced by the process of chemical synthesis * Synthetic o ...

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...

of double-stranded RNA and is a common tool for scientific research on the immune system. Poly I:C has been shown to activate schizophrenia-like behavior in the offspring of pregnant mice, which can be accompanied by decreased GABAergic transmission in the dentate gyrus.

Chemistry

Poly I:C is a mismatched double-stranded RNA with one strand being a polymer of

inosinic acid Inosinic acid or inosine monophosphate (IMP) is a nucleotide (that is, a nucleoside monophosphate). Widely used as a flavor enhancer, it is typically obtained from chicken byproducts or other meat industry waste. Inosinic acid is important in met ...

, 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

Immunostimulants TLR3 agonist {{antineoplastic-drug-stub