Biologically active metal-containing nucleic acids

Abstract

The invention relates to polymers comprising metal-containing nucleic acid duplexes. Methods of using the metal-containing nucleic acid duplexes to provoke physiological responses in a host animal are provided, such as immunological methods that produce antibodies in the host.

1 . A vaccine capable of eliciting an antibody response to an antigen, comprising a metal-containing nucleic acid duplex comprises a first strand of nucleic acid and a second strand of nucleic acid, the first and the second nucleic acid strands each comprising a plurality of nitrogen-containing aromatic bases convalently linked by a backbone, the nitrogen-containing aromatic bases of the first nucleic acid strand being joined by hydrogen bonding to the nitrogen-containing aromatic bases of the second nucleic acid strands forming hydrogen-bonded base pairs in stacked arrangement along the length of the metal-containing nucleic acid duplex, and at least some of the hydrogen-bonded base pairs comprising an interchelated divalent metal cation coordinated to a nitrogen atom in one of said aromatic nitrogen-containing aromatic bases, wherein said metal-containing nucleic acid is capable of being expressed in an animal to produce said antigen.  
     
     
         2 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second nucleic acid strands are deoxyribonucleic acid and the nitrogen-containing aromatic bases are selected from the group consisting of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine.  
     
     
         3 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein said divalent metal cations are selected from the group consisting of Zn 2+ , Co 2+ , and Ni 2+ .  
     
     
         4 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein said divalent metal cations are substituted for imine protons of said nitrogen-containing aromatic bases, and said nitrogen-containing aromatic bases are selected from the group consisting of thymine and guanosine.  
     
     
         5 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said aromatic nitrogen-containing aromatic bases in thymine, having and N3 nitrogen atom, and said divalent metal cation is coordinated by the N3 nitrogen atom.  
     
     
         6 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said aromatic nitrogen-containing aromatic bases is guanine, having an N1 nitrogen atom, and said divalent metal cation is coordinated by the N1 nitrogen atom.  
     
     
         7 . The vaccine according to  claim 1 , wherein said animal is a human.  
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the vaccine according to  claim 1  in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         9 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8 , further comprising an adjuvant.