Patent ID: 7691804

Claim:
A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an amount of a BCMA (B Cell Maturation Antigen) polypeptide effective to inhibit B-cell growth or immunoglobulin production, or both, wherein the BCMA polypeptide comprises: (a) an amino acid sequence that binds to BAFF (B-cell activating factor of the TNF family; SEQ ID NO:9) and is at least 95% identical to amino acids 1 to 51 of SEQ ID NO:1; or (b) an amino acid sequence that binds to a polypeptide consisting of the sequence of SEQ ID NO:9 and is at least 95% identical to amino acids 8 to 41 of SEQ ID NO:1, and wherein the BCMA polypeptide does not comprise the transmembrane domain of BCMA (amino acids 53 to 81 of SEQ ID NO:1).