Method for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

The invention is in the field of methods and preparations for medical treatments, in particular the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The invention provides such methods wherein antibodies or fragments thereof that react with selected citrullinated epitopes are used in the treatment of IPF. Antibodies against citrullinated epitopes situated at the amino terminus of hi stone polypeptides H2A and H4 were found to be particularly useful. The invention therefore relates to an antibody specifically reactive with a citrullinated epitope on the N-terminus of deiminated histone H2A or H4 for use in the prevention or treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

1 . A method for the treatment of subject having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the method comprising:
 determining that an antibody is specifically reactive with a citrullinated epitope on the N-terminus of deiminated histone H2A or H4, and   administering the antibody to the subject.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the citrullinated epitope resides on a peptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the antibody comprises a heavy chain CDR1 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 5, a heavy chain CDR2 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 6, a heavy chain CDR3 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 7, a light chain CDR1 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 8, a light chain CDR2 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 9, and a light chain CDR3 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 10. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the antibody comprises a heavy and light chain as contained in monoclonal antibody RmmAb 22.101 produced by the hybridoma cell line deposited with the DSMZ under deposit number ACC 3031. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the antibody competes with monoclonal antibody RmmAb 22.101 for binding to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A humanized antibody wherein the humanized antibody comprises a heavy chain CDR1 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 5, a heavy chain CDR2 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 6, a heavy chain CDR3 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 7, a light chain CDR1 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 8, a light chain CDR2 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 9, a light chain CDR3 domain comprising SEQ ID NO: 10. 
     
     
         9 . The humanized antibody of  claim 8 , wherein the humanized antibody is specifically reactive with a citrullinated epitope on the N-terminus of deiminated histone H2A or H4 
     
     
         10 . The humanized antibody of  claim 9 , wherein the citrullinated epitope resides on a peptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         11 . The humanized antibody of  claim 8 , wherein the humanized antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         12 . The humanized antibody of  claim 8 , wherein the antibody competes with monoclonal antibody RmmAb 22.101 for binding to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2.