Composition and method for treatment of autoimmune disease

9-10. (canceled)

16-17. (canceled)

A method for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of autoimmune arthritis, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody or binding fragment thereof which antagonises the function of Toll-like Receptor 2, and
• administering said antibody or binding fragment thereof to a subject in need of such treatment.

(canceled)

The method of claim 16, wherein the TLR2 antagonist antibody binds to an epitope on TLR2 comprising amino acid residues 19 to 39, or 538 to 549 of SEQ ID NO:2.

24-25. (canceled)

The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the antibody binds to an inhibitory epitope present on Toll-like Receptor 2 with a dissociation constant (Kd) selected from the group of from 10−7M to 10−11M.

31-32. (canceled)

A pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment and prophylaxis of autoimmune arthritis comprising a monoclonal antibody or binding fragment thereof which antagonises the function of Toll-like Receptor 2 along with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent, solubilizer, emulsifier, preservative and/or adjuvant.

(canceled)

A method for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of rheumatoid arthritis, the method comprising the steps of:

• administering a therapeutically effective amount of a monoclonal antibody or a binding fragment thereof which inhibits the interaction between Toll-like Receptor 2 and a Toll-like Receptor 2 agonist to a subject in need of treatment, and
• further administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one secondary immunosuppressant compound.

44-52. (canceled)