Methods and means to suppress symptoms of an allergic disease by inhibiting the glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR or TNFRSF18)
AssigneeUniversiteit Utrecht Holding B.V.
InventorsAntonius van Oosterhout, Elisabeth Catharina Lobato-van Esch, Joost Vissers
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Abstract
The invention relates to the field of immunology, more in particular to the field of immune therapy, even more particularly to a method for regulating tolerance to an allergen in a subject and even more specifically, to methods which involve regulation of a glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR). Provided is methods of treating allergic disorder and compositions for use therein.
Claims35
A method for regulating tolerance to an allergen in a subject, said method comprising:
- providing, in the allergen's presence, the subject with an inhibitor able to regulate the activation of a glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR).
A method for inducing and/or increasing tolerance to an allergen in a subject, said method comprising:
- providing, in the presence of the allergen, the subject with an inhibitor able to at least in part preventing activation of glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR).
A method for obtaining a compound capable of at least in part preventing activation of glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR), said method comprising the steps of:
- incubating a GITR protein or a functional equivalent and/or a functional fragment thereof with a candidate compound;
- determining whether said candidate compound binds to said GITR protein or a functional equivalent and/or a functional fragment thereof;
- determining whether said candidate compound blocks or mimics an effect mediated by a GITR-GITR-ligand (GITRL) interaction;
- and
- selecting a compound that blocks an effect mediated by a GITR-GITRL interaction, thus obtaining a compound capable of at least in part preventing activation of GITR.
A method for suppressing glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) activation of cells expressing GITR, said method comprising:
- providing, in the presence of an allergen, said cells with an inhibitor of GITR.
A method for selecting an allergic individual responsive to allergen-immune treatment, said method comprising:
- measuring whether the allergic individual's number of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells in the allergic individual's blood is sufficient to start allergen-immune treatment.
A method for determining responsiveness of an allergic individual to allergen-immune treatment, said method comprising:
- measuring whether the allergic individual's number of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells in the allergic individual's blood increases in response to allergen-immune treatment.
A method of improving tolerance to an allergen in an individual, said method comprising:
- increasing the individual's number and/or function of natural Treg cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.