Effectiveness of therapy with a multistranded synthetic polynucleotide complex against a murine sarcoma virus.

A known interferon stimulator, polyriboinosinic acid:polyribocytidylic acid (rI:rC), was shown to have a protective effect against a highly tumorigenic variant of the murine sarcoma virus (Moloney) designated as (MSV-PV). Mice treated intraperitoneally with different regimens of rI:rC survived significantly longer than untreated controls. The treatment was effective whether the infection with MSV-PV was intraperitoneal or intracerebral. The antiviral effectiveness of rI:rC was demonstrated by marked reduction of viral replication. The kinetic study of interferon induction by rI:rC showed a peak titer of interferon occurring at 18 hr after injection, followed by a rapid decrease in titer by 24 hr.