Novel Th2-specific molecules and uses thereof

A method for modulating a Th2 response in a mammal, said method comprising administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a polypeptide or its corresponding antibody, wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16;
• b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203302, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203569, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203797, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof under stringent conditions;
• and
• c) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 45% identical to a nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof.

A method for modulating an immune response in a mammal, said method comprising altering activity of a polypeptide in said mammal by administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of said polypeptide or an antibody corresponding to said polypeptide or by regulating in said mammal expression of a nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16;
• b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203302, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203569, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203797, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof under stringent conditions;
• and
• c) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 45% identical to a nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof.

A method for suppressing airway inflammation in a mammal, said method comprising altering activity of a polypeptide in said mammal by administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody corresponding to said polypeptide or by regulating in said mammal expression of a nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16;
• b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203302, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203569, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203797, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof under stringent conditions;
• and
• c) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 45% identical to a nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof.

A method for suppressing airway hyperresponsiveness in a mammal, said method comprising altering activity of a polypeptide in said mammal by administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody corresponding to said polypeptide or by regulating in said mammal expression of a nucleotide sequence encoding said polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a fragment of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the fragment comprises at least 15 contiguous amino acids of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, or SEQ ID NO:16;
• b) a naturally occurring allelic variant of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203302, an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203569, or an amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA insert of the plasmid deposited with ATCC as Accession Number 203797, wherein the polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof under stringent conditions;
• and
• c) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is at least 45% identical to a nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, or a complement thereof.