BoNT/A Peptides and Methods of Predicting and Reducing Immunoresistance to Botulinum Toxin Therapy

A therapeutic immunoadsorption method of removing an anti-botulinum toxin antibody from an individual in need thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) removing blood from said individual;
• (b) contacting said blood, or an antibody-containing component thereof, with at least one BoNT/A peptide immunoreactive with an anti-botulinum toxin antibody under conditions suitable for forming an immunoreactive complex between at least one of said immunoreactive BoNT/A peptide and said anti-botulinum toxin antibody;
• wherein each of said at least one immunoreactive BoNT/A peptide is at most 60 amino acids and each of said at least one immunoreactive BoNT/A peptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of amino acids 785-803 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, amino acids 981-999 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, amino acids 1051-1069 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, amino acids 1121-1139 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, amino acids 1275-1296 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, a conservative BoNT/A amino acid sequence variant thereof, and an immunoreactive BoNT/A amino acid sequence fragment thereof;
• wherein said conservative BoNT/A amino acid sequence variant immunoreactive with said anti-botulinum toxin antibody comprises 1-4 conservative amino acid substitutions to amino acids 785-803 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 1-4 conservative amino acid substitutions to amino acids 981-999 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 1-4 conservative amino acid substitutions to amino acids 1051-1069 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, 1-4 conservative amino acid substitutions to amino acids 1121-1139 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or 1-4 conservative amino acid substitutions to amino acids 1275-1296 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• and
• wherein said immunoreactive BoNT/A amino acid sequence fragment immunoreactive with said anti-botulinum toxin antibody comprises at least six consecutive amino acids of 785-803 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, at least six consecutive amino acids of 981-999 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, at least six consecutive amino acids of 1051-1069 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, at least six consecutive amino acids of 1121-1139 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1 or at least six consecutive amino acids of 1275-1296 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• (c) removing said complex from said blood, or antibody-containing component thereof, thereby forming anti-botulinum toxin antibody-depleted blood, or an anti-botulinum toxin antibody-depleted component thereof;
• and
• (d) returning said anti-botulinum toxin antibody-depleted blood, or said anti-botulinum toxin antibody-depleted component thereof, to said individual.