Patent ID: 6878370

Claim:
A chemically modified TNF-α cytokine of formula Cy—(X—R) n in which Cy represents native TNF-α cytokine having toxic biological properties —(XR) represents a chemically-reactive function of an amino acid contained in said native TNF-α cytokine or where X represents an NH group or a sulphur atom, n represents an integer from 1 to 70, and R is either (i) a carboxymethylated, carboxamide, N-alkylmaleimide, thionitrobenzoic group or a radical formed by reaction of a thiol function with ammonium 4-chloro-7-sulphobenzofurazane, N-[iodoethyl]-trifluroacetamide or N-(6-[7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetamido]hexyl)-3′-(2′-pyridyldithio) propionamide; or (ii) a radical formed by reaction of an amino function with ethylacetimidate, an anhydride, 2-iminothiolane-HCl, N-succinimidyl S-acetylthioacetate, sulphosuccinimidyl-acetate, sulphosuccinimidyl-4-O-[4-4′-dimethoxytrityl]butyrate, succinimidyl 7-amino-4-methlcoumarin-3-acetate, sulphosuccinimidyl 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetate or phenylglyoxal, said chemically modified TNF-α cytokine elicits antibodies which neutralize or block said native TNF-α cytokine and at the same time bringing about the loss of at least 90% of the toxic biological properties of said native TNF-α cytokine.