That which is claimed is:
1. A method for treating an intracellular pathogen infection in a subject, the method comprising:
administering to a subject an immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule in an amount effective to inhibit intracellular replication of the intracellular pathogen; and
administering to the subject an anti-pathogenic agent in an amount effective to decrease or inhibit growth of the intracellular pathogen, thereby treating the pathogen.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of an immunostimulatory oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ISS-ODN); an isolated, detoxified bacterial polynucleotide; and an ISS-enriched plasmid DNA.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a CpG motif selected from the group consisting of:
a) 5 -Purine-Purine-C-G-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
b) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
c) 5-TCGn-3, where n is any integer that is 1 or greater; and
d) 5-Purine-Purine-CG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3.
e) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of: AACGCC, AACGCT, AACGTC, AACGTT, AGCGCC, AGCGCT, AGCGTC, AGCGTT, GACGCC, GACGCT, GACGTC,
4
GACGTT, GGCGCC, GGCGCT, GGCGTC, GGCGTT, ATCGCC, ATCGCT, ATCGTC,
ATCGTT, GTCGCC, GTCGCT, GTCGTC, GTCGTT, TCGTCG, TCGTCGTCG,
AACGCCCG, AACGCTCG, AACGTCCG, AACGTTCG, AGCGCCCG, AGCGCTCG,
AGCGTCCG, AGCGTTCG, GACGCCCG, GACGCTCG, GACGTCCG, GACGTTCG,
GGCGCCCG, GGCGCTCG, GGCGTCCG, GGCGTTCG, ATCGCCCG, ATCGCTCG,
ATCGTCCG, ATCGTTCG, GTCGCCCG, GTCGCTCG, GTCGTCCG, and GTCGTTCG.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises the sequence AACGTTCG.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount effective to provide synergistic anti-pathogenic activity with the anti-pathogenic agent.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule and the anti-pathogenic agent are administered concurrently.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the intracellular pathogen is a bacterium.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bacterium is a Mycobacterium bacterium.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said administering enhances indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the subject.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject is immunocompromised.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the immunocompromised subject has a reduced number of CD4 T cells relative to an immunocompetent subject.
14. A method for treating a mycobacterial infection in a subject, the method comprising:
administering to a subject an immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule in an amount effective to inhibit replication of a Mycobacterium bacterium, thereby treating mycobacterial indection in the subject.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of an immunostimulatory oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ISS-ODN); an isolated, detoxified bacterial polynucleotide; and an ISS-enriched plasmid DNA.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a CpG motif selected from the group consisting of:
a) 5-Purine-Purine-C-G-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
b) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
c) 5-TCGn-3, where n is any integer that is 1 or greater; and
d) 5-Purine-Purine-CG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3.
e) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of: AACGCC, AACGCT, AACGTC,
5
AACGTT, AGCGCC, AGCGCT, AGCGTC, AGCGTT, GACGCC, GACGCT, GACGTC,
GACGTT, GGCGCC, GGCGCT, GGCGTC, GGCGTT, ATCGCC, ATCGCT, ATCGTC,
ATCGTT, GTCGCC, GTCGCT, GTCGTC, GTCGTT, TCGTCG, TCGTCGTCG,
AACGCCCG, AACGCTCG, AACGTCCG, AACGTTCG, AGCGCCCG, AGCGCTCG,
AGCGTCCG, AGCGTTCG, GACGCCCG, GACGCTCG, GACGTCCG, GACGTTCG,
GGCGCCCG, GGCGCTCG, GGCGTCCG, GGCGTTCG, ATCGCCCG, ATCGCTCG,
ATCGTCCG, ATCGTTCG, GTCGCCCG, GTCGCTCG, GTCGTCCG, and GTCGTTCG.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises the sequence AACGTTCG.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein said administering results in induction of an immune response effective against infection by a mycobacterial pathogen.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered with an anti-pathogenic agent.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount effective to provide synergistic anti-pathogenic activity with the anti-pathogenic agent.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule and the anti-pathogenic agent are administered concurrently.
23. The method of claim 14, wherein the bacterium is Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
24. The method of claim 14, wherein the bacterium is Mycobacterium avium.
25. The method of claim 14, wherein the subject is immunocompromised.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the immunocompromised subject has a reduced number of CD4 T cells relative to a immunocompetent subject.
27. A method for inducing in a subject an immune response against a Mycobacterium bacterium, the method comprising:
administering to a subject an amount of an immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule in an amount effective to elicit an immune response against a Mycobacterium bacterium;
wherein said administering results in induction of an immune response effective to protect the subject against onset of disease or to decrease severity of symptoms of disease caused by infection by the Mycobacterium bacterium.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a CpG motif selected from the group consisting of:
a) 5-Purine-Purine-C-G-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
b) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
c) 5-TCGn-3, where n is any integer that is 1 or greater; and
d) 5-Purine-Purine-CG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3.
e) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3
29. The method of claim 27, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
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AACGCC, AACGCT, AACGTC, AACGTT, AGCGCC, AGCGCT,
AGCGTC, AGCGTT, GACGCC, GACGCT, GACGTC, GACGTT,
GGCGCC, GGCGCT, GGCGTC, GGCGTT, ATCGCC, ATCGCT,
ATCGTC, ATCGTT, GTCGCC, GTCGCT, GTCGTC, GTCGTT,
TCGTCG, TCGTCGTCG, AACGCCCG, AACGCTCG, AACGTCCG,
AACGTTCG, AGCGCCCG, AGCGCTCG, AGCGTCCG, AGCGTTCG,
GACGCCCG, GACGCTCG, GACGTCCG, GACGTTCG, GGCGCCCG,
GGCGCTCG, GGCGTCCG, GGCGTTCG, ATCGCCCG, ATCGCTCG,
ATCGTCCG, ATCGTTCG, GTCGCCCG, GTCGCTCG, GTCGTCCG,
and GTCGTTCG.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises the sequence AACGTTCG.
31. The method of claim 27, wherein the bacterium is Mycobacteium tuberculosis.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein the bacterium is Mycobacterium avium.
33. The method of claim 27, wherein the subject is immunocompromised.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the immunocompromised subject has a reduced number of CD4 T cells relative to an immunocompetent subject.
35. A method treating a mycobacterial infection, the method comprising:
administering to a subject an amount of an immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule in an amount effective to inhibit intracellular replication of a Mycobacterium bacterium in the subject; and
administering to the subject an antimicrobial agent in an amount effective to decrease or inhibit growth of the Mycobacterium bacterium;
wherein said administering is effective to decrease severity of symptoms of disease caused by the Mycobacterium bacterium.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount effective to provide a synergistic, antimicrobial effect with the antimicrobial agent.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
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AACGCC, AACGCT, AACGTC, AACGTT,
AGCGCC, AGCGCT, AGCGTC, AGCGTT, GACGCC, GACGCT, GACGTC, GACGTT,
GGCGCC, GGCGCT, GGCGTC, GGCGTT, ATCGCC, ATCGCT, ATCGTC, ATCGTT,
GTCGCC, GTCGCT, GTCGTC, GTCGTT, TCGTCG, TCGTCGTCG, AACGCCCG,
AACGCTCG, AACGTCCG, AACGTTCG, AGCGCCCG, AGCGCTCG, AGCGTCCG,
AGCGTTCG, GACGCCCG, GACGCTCG, GACGTCCG, GACGTTCG, GGCGCCCG,
GGCGCTCG, GGCGTCCG, GGCGTTCG, ATCGCCCG, ATCGCTCG, ATCGTCCG,
ATCGTTCG, GTCGCCCG, GTCGCTCG, GTCGTCCG, and GTCGTTCG.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid comprises the sequence AACGTTCG.
39. The method of claim 35, wherein said administering of the immunomodulatory nucleic acid enhances indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the subject.
40. A method for treating an intracellular pathogen infection in a subject, the method comprising:
administering to a subject an immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule in an amount effective to enhance indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity in the subject, thereby inhibiting intracellular replication by an intracellular pathogen and treating infection in the subject.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of an immunostimulatory oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ISS-ODN); an isolated, detoxified bacterial polynucleotide; and an ISS-enriched plasmid DNA.
42. The method of claim 40, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a CpG motif selected from the group consisting of:
a) 5-Purine-Purine-C-G-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
b) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-3;
c) 5-TCGn-3, where n is any integer that is 1 or greater; and
d) 5-Purine-Purine-CG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3.
e) 5-Purine-TCG-Pyrimidine-Pyrimidine-CG-3
43. The method of claim 40, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
8
AACGCC, AACGCT, AACGTC,
AACGTT, AGCGCC, AGCGCT, AGCGTC, AGCGTT, GACGCC, GACGCT, GACGTC,
GACGTT, GGCGCC, GGCGCT, GGCGTC, GGCGTT, ATCGCC, ATCGCT, ATCGTC,
ATCGTT, GTCGCC, GTCGCT, GTCGTC, GTCGTT, TCGTCG, TCGTCGTCG,
AACGCCCG, AACGCTCG, AACGTCCG, AACGTTCG, AGCGCCCG, AGCGCTCG,
AGCGTCCG, AGCGTTCG, GACGCCCG, GACGCTCG, GACGTCCG, GACGTTCG,
GGCGCCCG, GGCGCTCG, GGCGTCCG, GGCGTTCG, ATCGCCCG, ATCGCTCG,
ATCGTCCG, ATCGTTCG, GTCGCCCG, GTCGCTCG, GTCGTCCG, and GTCGTTCG.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule comprises the sequence AACGTTCG.
45. The method of claim 40, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered with an anti-pathogenic agent.
46. The method of claim 45, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount effective to provide synergistic anti-pathogenic activity with the anti-pathogenic agent.
47. The method of claim 45, wherein the immunomodulatory nucleic acid molecule and the anti-pathogenic agent are administered concurrently.
48. The method of claim 40, wherein the intracellular pathogen is a Mycobacterium bacterium.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein the bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium.
50. The method of claim 40, wherein the subject is immunocompromised.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the immunocompromised subject has a reduced number of CD4 T cells relative to an immunocompetent subject.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An inductive coupler for coupling a signal to a power line, comprising:
a magnetic core for placement about said power line;
a coil wound around a portion of said magnetic core, wherein said signal is coupled to said coil; and
a semiconducting coating that encapsulates said core and contacts said power line.
2. The inductive coupler of claim 1,
wherein said core has a longitudinal end, and
wherein said inductive coupler further comprises a rounded semiconducting body that covers said longitudinal end and is in electrical contact with said semiconducting coating.
3. The inductive coupler of claim 1,
wherein said core has a rounded longitudinal end, and
wherein said semiconducting coating covers said rounded longitudinal end.
4. The inductive coupler of claim 1,
wherein said coil has a lead emerging from said core,
wherein said lead is coated with a layer of insulation, and
wherein said inductive coupler further comprises a semiconducting layer over said layer of insulation.
5. The inductive coupler of claim 1,
wherein said coil has a lead emerging from said core, and
wherein said inductive coupler further comprises a semiconducting layer over said lead.
6. The inductive coupler of claim 1,
wherein said coil has a section of high voltage cable coated with semiconducting material, said semiconducting material being in conductive or capacitive contact with said semiconducting coating, and
wherein said inductive coupler further comprises a stress cone at an end of said coil.
7. An inductive coupler for coupling a signal to a power line, comprising:
a magnetic core for placement about said power line; and
a coil wound around a portion of said magnetic core,
wherein said coil includes a coaxial cable having an outer conductor at power line potential, and
wherein said cable includes an end with a stress cone.