Lymphotoxin-β, lymphotoxin-β complexes, pharmaceutical preparations and therapeutic uses thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to lymphotoxin-β, a lymphocyte membrane type protein. This protein is found on the surface of a number of cells, including phorbol ester (PMA) stimulated T cell hybridoma II-23.D7 cells. This invention also relates to complexes formed between lymphotoxin-β and other peptides such as lymphotoxin-α and to complexes comprising multiple subunits of lymphotoxin-β. These proteins and complexes are useful in holding LT-α formed within the cell on the cell surface where the LT-α/LT-β complex may act as an inflammation regulating agent, a tumor growth inhibiting agent, a T cell inhibiting agent, a T cell activating agent, an autoimmune disease regulating agent, or an HIV inhibiting agent. Furthermore, the antitumor activity of the LT-α/LT-β complex may be delivered to tumor cells by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) transfected with the gene for LT-β.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.