Modified epitopes for boosting cd4+ t-cell responses
AssigneesKatholieke Universiteit Leuven, Life Sciences Research Partners VZW
InventorJean-Marie Saint-Remy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to immunogenic peptides comprising a T-cell epitope. Said peptides are modified such that CD4+ T-cell responses are obtainable that are much stronger than the CD4+ T-cell responses obtained with the same peptides not comprising said modification. In particular, the modification is the addition of a cysteine, insertion of a cysteine or mutation into a cysteine of a residue at a position adjacent to but outside the MHC-binding site of the peptide. Further disclosed are the use of such modified peptides in treating, suppressing or preventing diseases such as infectious or allergic diseases and autoimmune diseases, in preventing or suppressing graft rejection, or in the eradication of tumor cells.
Claims17
1-17. (canceled)
An in vitro method for preparing a population of activated non-cytolytic CD4+ T cells, the method comprising the step of administering to a population of peripheral blood cells an isolated immunogenic peptide of between 9 and 50 amino acids, the peptide comprising:
- a) an 8 or 9 amino acid MHC class II T cell epitope of an antigenic protein, and
- b) a sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids, at the n-terminal and/or c-terminal side of the 8 or 9 amino acid epitope sequence of a) comprising a reducing cysteine residue, wherein said sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids does not comprise a C-xx-[CST] or [CST]-xx-C redox motif sequence.
A pharmaceutical composition comprising as active ingredient an isolated immunogenic peptide with a length of between 9 and 30 amino acids comprising:
- a) an 8 or 9 amino acid MCH class II T cell epitope of an antigenic protein,
- b) a sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids at the n-terminal and/or c-terminal side of the 8 or 9 amino acid epitope sequence of a), comprising a reducing cysteine residue, wherein said sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids does not comprise a C-xx-[CST] or [CST]-xx-C redox motif sequence, for use as a medicament.
A method of treating a disorder selected from the group consisting of an infectious disease, an autoimmune disease, an allergic disease, a tumor, and an immune response that is neutralizing an allofactor, the method comprising the step of administering an effective amount of an isolated immunogenic peptide of between 9 and 30 amino acids said peptide comprising:
- a) an 8 or 9 amino acid MHC class II T cell epitope of an antigenic protein,
- b) a sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids at the n-terminal and/or c-terminal side of the epitope sequence of a), comprising a reducing cysteine residue, wherein said sequence of between 1 and 6 amino acids does not comprise a C-xx-[CST] or [CST]-xx-C redox motif sequence
- wherein the disorder is selected from the group consisting of an infectious disease, an autoimmune disease, an allergic disease, a tumor, and an immune response that is neutralizing an allofactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.