Patent ID: 8188254

Claim:
An immunostimulatory nucleic acid molecule of Formula I Z 1 [(X 1 Y 1 R 1 ) N (X 2 Y 2 R 2 ) k Z 2 ] p (S 1 ) q N′ (N n ) . . . (N 2 )(N 1 ) S 2 (N 1# )(N 2# ) . . . (N n# ) Z 3 (Formula I) wherein each of Z 1 , Z 2 , and Z 3 is independently any sequence 0 to 12 nucleotides long and wherein Z 3 is fewer than 3 nucletides each of X 1 and X 2 is independently a nucleotide containing thymine, uracil, adenine, or a 5-substituted uracil; each of Y 1 and Y 2 is independently a cytosine (C) or a modified cytosine; each of R 1 and R 2 is independently a guanine (G) or a modified guanine; each of N and N′ is independently any sequence 0 to 12 nucleotides long which optionally comprises a non-nucleotidic linker or abasic dSpacer; S 1 is a non-nucleotidic linker, an abasic linker (dSpacers), triethylene glycol units or hexaethylene glycol units, which optionally provides for 2′5′-, 5′5′-, 3′3′-, 2′2′-, or 2′3′-internucleoside linkages; S 2 is any non-palindromic sequence 1 to 10 nucleotides long or a non-nucleotidic linker, an abasic linker (dSpacers), triethylene glycol units or hexaethylene glycol units; each of N n , . . . N 2 , N 1 , and N 1# , N 2# , . . . N n# is any nucleotide or modified nucleotide wherein N 1 base-pairs with N 1# , N 2 base-pairs with N 2# , . . . and N n base-pairs with N n# ; such that (N n ) . . . (N 2 )(N 1 ) S 2 (N 1# )(N 2# ) . . . (N n# ) forms an inverted repeat capable of forming a hairpin stem-loop structure having a stem of at least 4 consecutive base pairs long, k is an integer from 0 to 5; n is an integer from 2 to 16; p is an integer from 1 to 6; and q is an integer from 0 to 10, and wherein when (N n ) . . . (N 2 )(N 1 ) S 2 (N 1# )(N 2# ) . . . (N n# ) is 10 to 42 nucleotides long, S 2 is 6 to 10 nucleotides long or is a non-nucleotidic linker, an abasic linker (dSpacers), triethylene glycol units or hexaethylene glycol units, and/or (N n ) . . . (N 2 )(N 1 ) S 2 (N 1# )(N 2# ) . . . (N n# ) has a GC content that is less than ⅔′.