Biological immuno-stimulating activity

For additional evaluation of the effect of hydrophobization and the molecular weight of the polymers on the biological immuno-stimulating activity, we investigated the ex vivo cytokine (interIeukin-6 [IL-6], and tumor necrosis factor [TNFj-inducing activity from human peripheral whole blood cells of hydrophobized polymers by use of fractionated poly(M A-CDA) with narrow poly-dispersity. Since this assay uses the intact human cells, it shows more accurate results than in vitro assay using cultured cell line [25]. 

We modified polyanionic polymers by use of a grafting reaction of hydrophobic groups onto the polymers. After an extensive evaluation for the affinity of the hy-drophobically modified (hydrophobized) polymers to cell membrane, the immuno-stimulating activity of polymers was investigated by in vitro or ex vivo experiments. Consequently, the increased biological activity was found in the hydrophobized polymer, indicating that... 

The biological activity of polycarboxylates, polynucleotides and small molecular weight interferon inducers (e.g tilorone) is not restricted to interferon production. In vivo, they exert many other effects on host defense mechanisms, including an increase of the body temperature (pyrogenicity), a stimulation of humoral and cellular immune responses (immuno-adjuvant effect), and an enhancement of the reticulo-endothelial cell activity (phagocytosis) (Fig. 8). 

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