Prevention and treatment of amyloidogenic disease

Abstract

The invention provides compositions and methods for treatment of amyloidogenic diseases. Such methods entail administering an agent that induces a beneficial immune response against an amyloid deposit in the patient. The methods are particularly useful for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In such methods, a suitable agent is Aβ peptide, active fragments thereof or an antibody thereto.

1 - 173 . (canceled) 
     
     
         174 . A method for sequestering Aβ from its bound, circulating form in the blood in a patient in need thereof, comprising:
 a) administering an agent having a binding affinity for the Aβ in the blood of the patient in need thereof;   b) sequestering Aβ in the blood, thereby decreasing Aβ levels in the brain of the patient.   
     
     
         175 . The method according to  claim 174 , wherein the patient is suffering from a disease characterized by Aβ amyloid deposits. 
     
     
         176 . The method of  claim 175 , wherein the disease characterized by amyloid deposits is selected from Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease associated with Down's syndrome. 
     
     
         177 . A method of treating a patient having an amyloid deposition disease comprising the step of administering to the patient a) a therapeutically effective dose of at least one immunoglobulin polypeptide or a fragments thereof, wherein the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof binds to an amyloid fibril; and b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         178 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof is raised against an immunoglobulin light-chain. 
     
     
         179 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein binding of the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof opsonizes the amyloid fibril. 
     
     
         180 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         181 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         182 . The method of  claim 180 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a chimeric antibody. 
     
     
         183 . The method of  claim 182 , wherein the chimeric antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         184 . The method of  claim 182 , wherein the antibody is a labeled antibody. 
     
     
         185 . An immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof that binds to an amyloid fibril and is effective to enhance the cellular immune response of a patient to remove disease-associated amyloid fibril deposits. 
     
     
         186 . The immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof of  claim 185 , wherein the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof is a monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof. 
     
     
         187 . The immunoglobulin or fragment thereof of  claim 186 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         188 . The immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof of  claim 186 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a chimeric antibody. 
     
     
         189 . The immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof of  claim 188 , wherein the chimeric antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         190 . The immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof of  claim 186 , wherein the antibody is a labeled antibody. 
     
     
         191 . The immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof of  claim 185 , wherein the immunoglobulin polypeptide or fragment thereof has been raised against synthetic amyloid fibrils. 
     
     
         192 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the immunoglobulin peptide or fragment thereof of  claim 185 . 
     
     
         193 . A nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide comprising at least a hypervariable region of the immunoglobulin polypeptide of  claim 185 . 
     
     
         194 . A host cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule of  claim 193 . 
     
     
         195 . A method of producing an immunoglobulin polypeptide comprising the step of culturing the host cell of  claim 194 .