Antiretroviral Drug Targeting Human Endogenous Retrovirus

Abstract

The invention relates to an antibody, a fragment or a derivative thereof, for use as an antiretroviral drug targeting a virus belonging to human endogenous retroviruses type W (HERV-W), wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative thereof is directed against HERV-W Envelope protein (HERV-W Env). The invention also relates to a composition comprising said antibody and a retroviral reverse-transcriptase inhibitory drug, for use as an antiretroviral drug targeting a virus belonging to HERV-W.

1 . A method for inhibiting the expression and/or the replication of a virus belonging to human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) in a patient comprising administering to said patient an antibody, a fragment or a derivative thereof, wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative is directed against HERV-W Envelope protein (HERV-W Env). 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative is able to:
 suppress or inhibit totally or partially the replication of a virus belonging to the human endogenous retroviruses type W (HERV-W) family; or   suppress or inhibit totally or partially the expression of a virus belonging to human endogenous retroviruses type W family, or the expression of the envelope protein of said virus.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said virus belongs to the MSRV subtype of human endogenous retrovirus family (HERV-W). 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said virus is MSRV. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , for preventing and/or treating an HERV-W associated disease. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method is for preventing and/or treating an HERV-W associated disease selected from the group consisting of multiple sclerosis (MS), schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BP), unipolar or psychotic depression, clinically isolated syndrome (CIS, with neurological symptom), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), epilepsy, psoriasis, cancer, inflammatory pancreatitis and diabetes such as type 1 or type 2 diabetes. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method is for preventing and/or treating an HERV-W associated disease selected from the group consisting of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP). 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative comprises each of the 6 CDRs as depicted in SEQ ID No: 1, SEQ ID No: 2, SEQ ID No: 3, SEQ ID No: 4, SEQ ID No: 5 and SEQ ID No: 6. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative comprises:
 a light chain variable region (VL) as depicted in SEQ ID No: 7; and   a heavy chain variable region (VH) as depicted in SEQ ID No: 8.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said antibody, fragment or derivative is selected from the group consisting of a Fv, Fab, F(ab′)2, Fab′, dsFv, scFv, sc(Fv)2, a diabody, and multispecific antibodies formed from antibody fragments. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said antibody is a monoclonal humanized antibody. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the heavy chain (HC) has the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID No: 9 and   the light chain (LC) has the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No: 10.   
     
     
         13 . Composition comprising:
 an antibody, a fragment, or a derivative thereof as defined in  claim 1 ; and   a retroviral reverse-transcriptase inhibitory drug.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . Composition according to  claim 13 , wherein said retroviral reverse-transcriptase inhibitory drug is azidothymidine (AZT). 
     
     
         16 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A kit comprising at least two oligonucleotides selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No: 11 to 28. 
     
     
         19 . A method for inhibiting the expression and/or the replication of a virus belonging to human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) in a patient comprising administering to said patient an antibody, a fragment or a derivative thereof directed against HERV-W Envelope protein (HERV-W Env), wherein said patient is identified by a method comprising a step i) of detecting and/or quantifying HERV-W in a biological sample of said patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein said step i) is performed with a kit comprising at least two oligonucleotides selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No: 11 to 28. 
     
     
         21 . The according to  claim 19 , wherein said biological sample is selected from the group consisting of:
 body fluids such as blood, serum, plasma, nipple aspirate fluid, urine, saliva, synovial fluid and cerebrospinal fluid; and   disease-specific tissues and lesions such as MS brain plaque, CIDP nerve biopsies or diabetes pancreas biopsies.