Peptides for the treatment, prophylaxis, diagnosis and monitoring of autoimmune diseases

A method of preventing or treating arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in a subject susceptible to or having arthritis or an arthritis-like condition, said method comprising administering to said subject a prophylactically- or therapeutically-effective amount of

• (i) a peptide comprising a contiguous sequence of 9 amino acid residues (nonapeptide) having the amino acid sequence X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6-X7-X8-X9, wherein
• (a)
• X2, X6 and X7 are any amino acid,
• X1 is one of A, F, G, I, L, N, P, Q, S, T, V, W,
• X3 is S or T,
• X4 is one of F, L, I, V, A, G, P,
• X5 is one of A, G, C, P, S, N, T, V,
• X8 is one of V, L, I, M,
• X9 is E or D,
• (b) said nonapeptide is part of a mammalian cartilage protein, joint protein or arthritis-related protein,
• (c) said peptide has a length of 9-20 amino acids, and
• (d) said peptide is recognised by T cells isolated from rats in which Adjuvant Arthritis is induced, or wherein said first peptide is recognised in vitro by T cells that induce arthritis in a rat, or both, or
• (ii) a protein comprising said peptide, as an active ingredient, thereby preventing or treating arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in said subject.

A method of diagnosing arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in a subject susceptible to or having arthritis or an arthritis-like condition, said method comprising (a) combining

• (i) a peptide comprising a contiguous sequence of 9 amino acid residues (nonapeptide) having the amino acid sequence X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6-X7-X8-X9, wherein
• (aa)
• X2, X6 and X7 are any amino acid,
• X1 is one of A, F, G, I, L, N, P Q, S, T, V, W,
• X3 is S or T,
• X4 is one of F, L, I, V, A, G, P,
• X5 is one of A, G, C, P, S, N, T, V,
• X8 is one of V, L, I, M,
• X9 is E or D,
• (bb) said nonapeptide is part of a mammalian cartilage protein, joint protein or arthritis-related protein,
• (cc) said peptide has a length of 9-20 amino acids, and
• (dd) said peptide is recognised by T cells isolated from rats in which Adjuvant Arthritis is induced, or wherein said peptide is recognised in vitro by T cells that induce arthritis in a rat, or both, or
• (ii) a protein comprising said peptide,
• with a biological sample obtained from said subject, wherein said sample contains an antibody or a T cell, or both, and (b) detecting an interaction between said peptide or said protein and an antibody, or between said peptide or said protein and a T cell, thereby diagnosing arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in said subject.

A method of preventing or treating arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in a subject susceptible to or having arthritis or an arthritis-like condition, said method comprising administering to said subject a prophylactically- or therapeutically-effective amount of a labelled or unlabelled peptide-MHC complex as an active ingredient, wherein

• (i) said peptide comprises a contiguous sequence of 9 amino acid residues (nonapeptide), and said nonapeptide:
• (a) has the amino acid sequence X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6-X7-X8-X9, wherein
• X2, X6 and X7 are any amino acid,
• X1 is one of A, F, G, I, L, N, P, Q, S, T, V, W,
• X3 is S or T,
• X4 is one of F, L, I, V, A, G, P,
• X5 is one of A, G, C, P, S, N, T, V,
• X8 is one of V, L, I, M,
• X9 is E or D, and
• (b) is part of a mammalian cartilage protein, joint protein or arthritis-related protein,
• (ii) said peptide has a length of 9-20 amino acids, and
• (iii) said peptide is recognised by T cells isolated from rats in which Adjuvant Arthritis is induced, or wherein said peptide is recognised in vitro by T cells that induce arthritis in a rat, or both, thereby preventing or treating arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in said subject.

A method of diagnosing arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in a subject susceptible to or having arthritis or an arthritis-like condition, said method comprising (a) combining a labeled or unlabelled peptide-MHC complex, wherein

• (i) said peptide comprises a contiguous sequence of 9 amino acid residues (nonapeptide), and said nonapeptide:
• (aa) has the amino acid sequence X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6-X7-X8-X9, wherein
• X2, X6 and X7 are any amino acid,
• X1 is one of A, F, G, I, L, N, P, Q, S, T, V, W,
• X3 is S or T,
• X4 is one of F, L, I, V, A, G, P,
• X5 is one of A, G, C, P, S, N, T, V,
• X8 is one of V, L, I, M,
• X9 is E or D, and
• (bb) is part of a mammalian cartilage protein, joint protein or arthritis-related protein,
• (ii) said peptide has a length of 9-20 amino acids, and
• (iii) said peptide is recognised by T cells isolated from rats in which Adjuvant Arthritis is induced, or wherein said peptide is recognised in vitro by T cells that induce arthritis in a rat, or both, with a biological sample obtained from said subject, wherein said sample contains an antibody or a T cell, or both, and (b) detecting an interaction between said peptide and an antibody or between said peptide and a T cell, thereby diagnosing arthritis or an arthritis-like condition in said subject.