Patent ID: 7704945
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K

Abstract:
1. An isolated protein comprising at least one first polypeptide linked to at least one second polypeptide, wherein said first polypeptide binds to IL-18, and further wherein said first polypeptide is encoded by a DNA selected from the group consisting of: a) DNA comprising the coding region of the nucleotide sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:7; b) DNA that is complementary to DNA capable of hybridizing to the DNA of (a) under highly stringent conditions (hybridization at 68° C. followed by washing in 0.1×SSC/0.1% SDS at 63-68° C.); and, c) DNA that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:8; and, wherein said second polypeptide is encoded by a DNA selected from the group consisting of: a′) DNA comprising the coding region of the nucleotide sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:5; b′) DNA that is complementary to DNA capable of hybridizing to the DNA of (a′) under highly stringent conditions (hybridization at 68° C. followed by washing in 0.1×SSC/0.1% SDS at 63-68° C.); and c′) DNA that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence presented in SEQ ID NO:6, wherein the isolated protein binds IL-18 with an affinity greater than that of the first polypeptide alone.