Patent ID: 7189398

Claim:
An isolated and purified peptide consisting of: a) a peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence which is within a domain of a pyrogenic exotoxin which domain forms a central turn in the exotoxin and includes β-strand 7, short β-strand 8, and α-helix 4, based on the domain numbering of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB), said sequence starting within or immediately after β-strand 7 and ending within α-helix 4, wherein said isolated peptide does not have toxin agonist activity and is capable of antagonizing toxin-mediated activation of T-lymphocytes; b) a peptide of a) having insertions, deletions or substitutions of up to three amino acids, wherein the resultant peptide does not have toxin agonist activity and is capable of antagonizing toxin mediated activation of T-lymphocytes; c) a peptide of a) or b) that is extended at the N-terminus and/or the C-terminus by one or two naturally occurring or synthetic amino acid residues, or by an organic moiety that is not a naturally-occurring or synthetic amino acid residue, wherein the resultant peptide does not have toxin agonist activity and is capable of antagonizing toxin mediated activation of T-lymphocytes; d) a dimer or multimer of a), b), or c), wherein the resultant peptide does not have toxin agonist activity and is capable of antagonizing toxin mediated activation of T-lymphocytes; or e) a peptide of a), b) or c) in a constrained conformation, wherein the resultant peptide does not have toxin agonist activity and is capable of antagonizing toxin mediated activation of T-lymphocytes.