Graft rejection suppressors

Abstract

Graft rejection is a serious problem associated with tissue or organ transplantation (e.g., allotransplantation or xenotransplantation), performed to treat various organ failures (e.g., liver, heart, lung, kidney, or pancreas). Described are pharmaceutical compositions for suppressing, treating, or preventing graft rejection comprising a substance having an activity to modulate signal transduction mediated by AILIM, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

1 . A method for suppressing, treating, or preventing graft rejection accompanying the transplantation of an organ, or a portion thereof, or a tissue in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a substance having an activity to modulate signal transduction mediated by AILIM, and (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         2 . A method for enhancing the effect of at least one immunosuppressive agent on the suppression, treatment, or prevention of graft rejection accompanying the transplantation of an organ, or a portion thereof, or a tissue in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject at least one immunosuppressive agent and an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a substance having an activity to modulate signal transduction mediated by AILIM, and (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         3 . A method for suppressing, treating, or preventing graft rejection accompanying the transplantation of an organ, or a portion thereof, or a tissue in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a substance having an activity to modulate signal transduction mediated by AILIM, and (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in combination with at least one immunosuppressive agent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one immunosuppressive agent is selected from the group consisting of azathioprine, adrenocortical steroid, mizoribine, mycophenolate mofetil, leflunomide, sirolimus, deoxyspergualin, FTY720, and CTLA4 drug. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one immunosuppressive agent is cyclosporin. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one immunosuppressive agent is tacrolimus (FK-506). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one immunosuppressive agent is CTLA4 drug. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transplantation is allotransplantation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transplantation is xenotransplantation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organ is the liver, heart, kidney, lung, or pancreas. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue is the skin, cornea, or bone tissue. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a proteinaceous substance. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the proteinaceous substance is selected from group consisting of:
 a) an antibody that binds to AILIM, or a portion of said antibody;   b) a polypeptide comprising the whole or a portion of an extracellular region of AILIM;   c) a fusion polypeptide comprising the whole or a portion of an extracellular region of AILIM, and the whole or a portion of a constant region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain; and   d) a polypeptide that binds to AILIM.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the proteinaceous substance is an antibody that binds to AILIM, or a portion of said antibody. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a non-proteinaceous substance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the non-proteinaceous substance is DNA, or a chemically synthesized compound.