Patent ID: 6096314
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K

Abstract:
A peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence of about 7-24 amino acid residues in length, said amino acid sequence comprising a ""VDJ"" region, obtained from the CDR3 of the .beta. chain of a T cell receptor reactive with heat shock protein 60 (hsp60), having the formulaV-D-J,which is capable of activating anti-idiotypic T cells that recognize and down-regulate autoimmune anti-hsp60 T cells, and in which ""V"" includes the dipeptide sequence A-S, ""D"", preferably having 2-5 amino acid residues, includes the dipeptide sequence L-G, and ""J"" includes the tripeptide sequence N-Q-D, or a salt, variant or chemical derivative of said amino acid sequence of the peptide, said chemical derivative being a peptide in which chemical moieties are formed on the functional groups of amino acid side chains and said variant being a peptide in which one or more amino acid residues are deleted, added or replaced with other amino acid residues, wherein said salt, variant and chemical derivative all have the ability to immunologically cross-react with the VDJ region of a T cell receptor .beta. chain such that T cells, which recognize and down-regulate autoimmune anti-hsp60 T cells, are capable of being activated thereby and said variant retains the dipeptide sequence A-S in ""V"", the dipeptide sequence L-G in ""D"", and the tripeptide sequence N-Q-D in ""J"".