Il-17a/f heterologous polypeptides and therapeutic uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a novel naturally occurring human cytokine that is comprised of a heterodimer of interleukin-17 and interleukin-17F designated herein as interleukin 17A/F (IL-17A/F). Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, specific antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention. Further provided herein are methods for treating degenerative cartilaginous disorders and other inflammatory diseases.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof, comprising
 administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of one or more antagonists capable of inhibiting both IL-17A (SEQ ID NO: 3) and IL-17F (SEQ ID No: 4) in an IL-17A/F polypeptide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mammal is a human subject. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  comprising administering to said human subject a therapeutically effective amount of an IL-17A antagonist and an IL-17F antagonist. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said IL-17A antagonist is an antibody that specifically binds IL-17A (SEQ ID NO: 3), or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said IL-17F antagonist is an antibody that specifically binds IL-17F (SEQ ID NO: 4), or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said IL-17A antagonist is an antibody that specifically binds IL-17A (SEQ ID NO: 3), or a fragment thereof, and said IL-17F antagonist is an antibody that specifically binds IL-17F (SEQ ID NO: 4), or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said antagonist is an antibody specifically binding to both IL-17A (SEQ ID NO: 3) and IL-17F (SEQ ID NO: 4) in an IL-17A/F polypeptide, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said antibody is a cross-reactive antibody that recognizes identical or similar epitopes present on both IL-17A (SEQ ID NO: 3) and IL-17F (SEQ ID NO: 4). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said antibody is a bispecific antibody having IL-17A and IL-17F specificity, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of any one of  claims 3  to  9  wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said monoclonal antibody or antibody fragment is chimeric, humanized or human. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said immune related disorder is multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 
     
     
         14 . A method of treating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof comprising simultaneous targeting of IL-17A and IL-17F in said mammal wherein said method comprises administration to said mammal of a therapeutically effective amount of a cross-reactive antibody wherein said antibody recognizes identical or similar epitopes present on both IL-17A, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, and IL-17F, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, or a fragment of said antibody. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the immune related disorder is multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 
     
     
         17 . A method of treating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof comprising simultaneous targeting of IL-17A and IL-17F in said mammal wherein said method comprises administration to said mammal of a therapeutically effective amount of a bi-specific antibody wherein said antibody consists of two arms wherein one arm of said antibody recognizes IL-17A and the other arm of said antibody recognizes IL-17F. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the immune related disorder is multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 
     
     
         20 . A method of treating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof comprising simultaneous targeting of IL-17A and IL-17F in said mammal wherein said method comprises administration to said mammal of a therapeutically effective amount of a bi-specific antibody wherein said antibody consists of a heavy chain which recognizes IL-17A and a light chain which recognizes IL-17F. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the immune related disorder is multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 
     
     
         23 . A method of treating an immune related disorder in a mammal in need thereof comprising simultaneous targeting of IL-17A and IL-17F in said mammal wherein said method comprises administration to said mammal of a therapeutically effective amount of a bi-specific antibody wherein said antibody consists of a heavy chain which recognizes IL-17F and a light chain which recognizes IL-17A. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the immune related disorder is systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis, a spondyloarthropathy, systemic sclerosis, an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic vasculitis, sarcoidosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, immune-mediated renal disease, a demyelinating disease of the central or peripheral nervous system, idiopathic demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a hepatobiliary disease, infectious or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, granulomatous hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, Whipple's disease, an autoimmune or immune-mediated skin disease, a bullous skin disease, erythema multiforme, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, an allergic disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, urticaria, an immunologic disease of the lung, eosinophilic pneumonia, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a transplantation associated disease, graft rejection or graft-versus-host-disease. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the immune related disorder is multiple sclerosis (MS) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).