Dual Synthetic Peptide Conjugate Vaccine Simultaneously Triggers TLR2 and NOD2 and Activates Human Dendritic Cells

Simultaneous triggering of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs) has previously been shown to synergistically activate monocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages. We applied these properties in a T-cell vaccine setting by conjugating the NOD2-ligand muramyl-dipeptide (MDP) and TLR2-ligand Pam₃CSK₄ to a synthetic peptide derived from a model antigen. Stimulation of human DCs with the MDP-peptide-Pam₃CSK₄ conjugate led to a strongly increased secretion of pro-inflammatory and Th1-type cytokines and chemokines. We further show that the conjugated ligands retain their ability to trigger their respective receptors, while even improving NOD2-triggering. Also, activation of murine DCs was enhanced by the dual triggering, ultimately leading to effective induction of vaccine-specific T cells expressing IFNγ, IL-2, and TNFα. Together, these data indicate that the dual MDP-SLP-Pam₃CSK₄ conjugate constitutes a chemically well-defined vaccine approach that holds promise for the use in the treatment of virus infections and cancer.