A modified polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid complex that induces interferon in primates.

A comlex of polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I-poly C) with poly-L-lysine and carboxymethylcellulose has been prepared. This complex is five to 10 times as resistant to hydrolysis by primate serum as the parent poly I-poly C. It has a thermal denaturation temperature about 40 C higher than that of poly I-poly C. The complex induces significant levels of serum interferon in monkeys and chimpanzees under conditions in which poly I-poly C itself induces no interferon.