Polyarginine induces an antitumor immune response through binding to toll-like receptor 4.

ABSTRACT

A novel function of polyarginine as an activator of the immune system is reported. Single-molecule fluorescence imaging and single-molecule force measurements demonstrate that polyarginine binds specifically to the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), inducing receptor dimerization and activation. Moreover, polyarginine induced immune activation inhibits tumor growth. These results suggest the potential use of polyarginine for cancer immunotherapy.