Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (usually abbreviated poly I:C or poly(I:C)) is an immunostimulant. It is used in the form of its sodium salt to simulate viral infections.^[1]

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, sodium salt

Clinical data
ATC code	L03AX07 (WHO)
Identifiers
IUPAC name poly[(2R,3S,4R,5R)-5-(4-amino-2-oxopyrimidin-1-yl)-3,4-dihydroxyoxolan-2-yl]methyl dihydrogen phosphate;
CAS Number	24939-03-5 Y
PubChem CID	32744
ChemSpider	none
UNII	3R630IWW5I O84C90HH2L Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90947819
Chemical and physical data
Formula	(C10H10N4NaO7P)x • (C9H11N3NaO7P)x
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Poly I:C is known to interact with toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), which is expressed at the endosomal 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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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).^[4]