Immunological Reagents

Abstract

This disclosure relates to binding agents with specificity for programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and to methods for using the same to treat, prevent and/or ameliorate an infectious disease (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)), cancer and/or autoimmunity. In addition, this disclosure identifies a novel binding patch (“P2”) on PD-1 that is linked with a previously unidentified functional activity of PD-1 that is distinct from the interaction site involved with either the PD-L1 or PD-L2 ligands. Furthermore, we demonstrate that antibodies that interact with this region of PD-1 are able to act as antagonists of PD-1 and that this antagonism is further enhanced with the addition of antibodies that act through the blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1/L2 interaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 165 . (canceled) 
     
     
         166 . A binding agent that binds programmed cell death 1 (PD1) comprising at least one amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS. 1-138 and/or shown in Tables 1A and/or 1B.