Inhibition of osteopontin for treatment of relapsing autoimmune disease
OwnerSawsan Youssef, Eun Mi Hur +1inventors
InventorsSawsan Youssef, Eun Mi Hur, Lawrence Steinman
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Abstract
Methods are provided for the inhibition or prevention of relapses in pre-existing autoimmune disease by decreasing activity or expression of osteopontin in immune cells found in tissues affected by the autoimmune disease. Osteopontin is shown herein to mediate autoimmune relapses and induce a shift to the secondary or progressive stage in autoimmune disease. Osteopontin promotes the survival of activated T cells through regulation of transcription factors, FoxO3a and NF-κB and via the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins.
Claims10
A method for inhibiting or preventing relapse of an autoimmune disease in a mammal, the method comprising:
- administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective dose of an agent that inhibits osteopontin, wherein immune cells in tissues affected by the autoimmune disease have decreased survival in the presence of the agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.