Patent ID: 7226595

Claim:
A conjugate comprising a bacterial superantigen and an immunoglobulin, wherein the superantigen comprises Staphylococcal enterotoxin E, SEQ ID NO: 8, mutated in the following positions relative to SEQ ID NO: 8, at position 20, a glycine or a conserved substitution of glycine; at position 21, a threonine or a conserved substitution of threonine; at position 24, a glycine or a conserved substitution of glycine; at position 27, a lysine or a conserved substitution of lysine, and at position 225 and/or 227, an alanine or a conserved substitution of alanine, such that the modified superantigen induces increased cytotoxicity relative to unmodified Staphylococcal enterotoxin E, and reduced binding to endogenous antibodies relative to Staphylococcal enterotoxin A.