Synthesis of a dimeric monosaccharide lipid A mimic and its synergistic effect on the immunostimulatory activity of lipopolysaccharide

Bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a potent immune stimulant, with the recognition of LPS and its active principal lipid A mediated by the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2 receptor complex. Due to the broad downstream implications of TLR4-mediated signalling, TLR4 ligands show great potential for immunotherapeutic manipulations. In this paper a dimeric monosaccharide lipid A mimic (3) has been designed as a potential TLR4 ligand. The chemical synthesis and the preliminary biological studies are described. Compound 3 shows a significant synergistic effect on LPS-induced ICAM-1 expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells.