Patent ID: 7430476

Claim:
A method for preparing a biologically active modified peptide that is less immunogenic than and homologous to an immunogenic biologically active peptide, the method comprising the steps of: (a) comparing MHC class II molecule binding scores of sequential overlapping segments of the amino acid sequence of an immunogenic biologically active peptide, the binding scores being determined using a sum of assigned values for all aromatic and aliphatic hydrophobic side chains in each segment, in which the assigned value for each aromatic side chain in the segment is about one half of value assigned to each aliphatic hydrophobic side chain in the segment; (b) selecting at least one segment to be modified, the at least one selected segment having a relatively higher binding score compared to the binding scores of the other segments; (c) identifying at least one amino acid substitution within the segment selected in step (b) that substantially reduces the calculated MHC class II binding score of the segment; and (d) preparing, by recombinant DNA techniques, a modified peptide that has the amino acid sequence of the immunogenic biologically active peptide, but differing therefrom by the at least one amino acid residue substitution identified in step (c), the modified peptide being less immunogenic than and having substantially the same biological activity as the immunogenic biologically active peptide.