Patent ID: 7462486

Claim:
A method of identifying a T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent in a subject affected with an autoimmune disease, comprising: a) contacting T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease with TCR V beta peptides, TCR V alpha peptides, or both TCR V beta peptides and TCR V alpha peptides in vitro, wherein the TCR V beta peptides and the TCR V alpha peptides comprise a complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) peptide, b) detecting cytokine expression by the T cells, wherein detecting cytokine expression comprises detecting expression of interleukin (IL)-10, to select a TCR V peptide of interest that produces altered expression of IL-10 by the T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to T cells from a healthy control subject that does not have the autoimmune disease, wherein altered IL-10 expression is indicated by at least a 50% higher expression of IL-10 by T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to expression of IL-10 by T cells from the healthy control subject; and c) assessing the regulatory activity of CD4+CD25+ T cells isolated from the subject with the autoimmune disease, wherein the CD4+CD25+ T cells are specifically elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest, wherein an increase in the regulatory activity of the CD4+CD25+ T cells elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest identifies the TCR V peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent.