The disclosure provides compositions and methods related to activating alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) for modulating an immune response and treating or preventing cancer, infection, inflammation and related diseases and disorders as well as potentiating an immune response to a target antigen. The disclosure also provides heterocyclic compounds of formula (I) as agonists of alpha protein kinase 1 (ALPK1) and their use in activating ALPK1, modulating an immune response and treating diseases such as cancer, wherein A