Patent ID: 6410009
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of inhibiting the infection of hepatocytes by HBV, comprising administering to a human patient a soluble active agent which inhibits the interaction between human interleukin 6 (hIL6) and hepatocytes, and thereby inhibits the activation of gp130 and the internalization of HBV into the hepatocytes, wherein the soluble active agent is selected from the group consisting of glycoprotein 80 (gp80) or a portion thereof, said portion spanning gp80 amino acids 113-323 and having receptor sites that interact with hIL6 and competitively inhibit the interaction between hIL6 and hepatocytes, glycoprotein 130 (gp130) or a portion thereof, said portion including amino acids 1-94 and 141-230, having receptor sites that interact with hIL6 and competitively inhibit the interaction between hIL6 and hepatocytes, hIL6 peptide LYS41-ALA56, hIL6 peptide GLY77-GLU95, hIL6 peptide GLN153-HIS165, a combined &bgr;1 and &bgr;2 hIL6 mutant (mhIL6&bgr;1+&bgr;2), mhIL6&bgr;1+&bgr;2 substituted with phe 171 to leu and ser 177 to arg, and mixtures of any of the foregoing.