Allergy vaccines and their preparation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing a peptide and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent wherein the peptide has a length of 8 to 50 amino acids, at least three preferably consecutive amino acids of the peptide are identical to at least three amino acids which appear in close vicinity on the molecular surface of an allergenic protein, and said at least three amino acids are solvent-exposed amino acids in the allergenic protein. The invention also concerns a method for the preparation of the pharmaceutical composition.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A method of screening peptides for use as immunotherapeutic agents against pollen allergenic proteins comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a peptide with an amino acid sequence obtained from the pollen allergenic protein wherein said peptide,   b) has a length of at least 8 and no more than 50 amino acids;   c) has at least three consecutive amino acids identical to at least three solvent-exposed amino acids of the allergenic protein which appear in close vicinity on the molecular surface of the allergenic protein;   d) administering said peptide to a test animal;   e) selecting as candidate immunotherapeutic agents, those peptides which are capable of inducing IgG antibodies to the allergenic protein and   e) do not induce any substantial IgE-mediated allergic reaction.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said at least three solvent-exposed amino acids appear on the molecular surface of the allergenic protein within a surface patch of approximately 500 square Angstrom. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein at least five consecutive amino acids of the peptide are identical to at least five consecutive solvent-exposed amino acids of the allergenic protein. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the peptide amino acid sequence comprises at least the N-terminal or C-terminal five amino acids of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein all amino acids of the peptide except one are identical to the amino acids of an amino acid sequence which is part of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the one amino acid which deviates from the amino acid sequence of the allergenic protein is the N-terminal or C-terminal amino acid of the peptide amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the peptide is identical to an amino acid sequence which is part of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the allergenic protein is the birch pollen allergen Bet v 1. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the peptide amino acid sequence comprises at least the N-terminal or C-terminal five amino acids of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the solvent-exposed amino acids of the allergenic protein are determined by determining the hydrophilicity profile of the allergenic protein. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the solvent-exposed amino acids of the allergenic protein are determined from the three-dimensional structure of the allergenic protein. 
     
     
         50 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunotherapeutic agent of  claim 39  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. 
     
     
         51 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 50 , further comprising an adjuvant. 
     
     
         52 . A method for treating an allergic disease, comprising administering to a patient in need thereof the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 50 . 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the peptide does not induce an IgE-mediated allergic reaction. 
     
     
         52 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 50 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the peptide is identical to an amino acid sequence which is part of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         53 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 50 , wherein all amino acids of the peptide except one are identical to the amino acids of an amino acid sequence which is part of the allergenic protein amino acid sequence. 
     
     
         54 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 53 , wherein the one amino acid which deviates from the amino acid sequence of the allergenic protein is the N-terminal or C-terminal amino acid of the peptide amino acid sequence, wherein said amino acid is a cysteinyl residue. 
     
     
         55 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 50 , wherein the at least three amino acids identical to the at least three solvent-exposed amino acids of an allergenic protein are not consecutive.