Immunogenic cd1d binding peptides

Abstract

The invention relates to isolated immunogenic peptides comprising a CD1d binding peptide, and immediately adjacent or separated from said CD1d binding peptide, a redox motif sequence which is further flanked by a histidine or tryptophan amino acids. The invention further relates to these peptides for use as a medicament The invention further relates to methods wherein these peptides are used for generating NKT cells which are cytolytic against cells presenting the cognate antigen.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating an allergic disorder or autoimmune disease in a subject, comprising the step of administering to said subject an effective amount of a fusion peptide of between 12 and 100 amino acids wherein said fusion peptide comprises:
 (i) a first peptide of an antigen comprising the [FWYH]-X(2)-[VILM]-X(2)-[FWYH] (SEQ ID NO: 61) first sequence motif, wherein the antigen is myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), and   (ii) a [HW]-X(0,2)-C-X(2)-C ((SEQ ID NO: 7), (SEQ ID NO: 8), (SEQ ID NO: 9)) or C-X(2)-C-X(0,2)-[HW] ((SEQ ID NO: 10), (SEQ ID NO: 11), (SEQ ID NO: 12)) redox motif sequence, which is immediately adjacent or separated by at most 7 amino acids from said first sequence motif.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif sequence is located N terminally from the first sequence motif within the fusion peptide. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif sequence is located C terminally from the first sequence motif within the fusion peptide. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein said fusion peptide has a length of between 12 and 50 amino acids. 
     
     
         20 . The peptide according to  claim 16 , wherein the first peptide of the antigen comprises the [FWY]-X(2)-[VILM]-X(2)-[FWY] (SEQ ID NO:63). 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif is [HW]-C-X(2)-[CST] (SEQ ID NO: 1) or [CST]-X(2)-C-[HW] (SEQ ID NO:4). 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif sequence is [HW]-C-X(2)-C (SEQ ID NO: 7) or C-X(2)-C-[HW] (SEQ ID NO: 10). 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif sequence is H-C-X(2)-[CST] (SEQ ID NO: 101) or [CST]-X(2)-C-H (SEQ ID NO: 102). 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the redox motif sequence is H-C-X(2)-C (SEQ ID NO: 48) or C-X(2)-C-H (SEQ ID NO: 42). 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein said first peptide comprises the amino acid sequence FLRVPCWKI (SEQ ID NO: 103). 
     
     
         26 . The method according to claim  1 , wherein said fusion peptide comprises the sequence of HCGPCGGFLRVPCWKI (SEQ ID NO: 87), WCGPCGGFLRVPCWKI (SEQ ID NO: 88), HCHGCGGFLRVPCWKI (SEQ ID NO: 105), or WCHGCGGFLRVPCWKI (SEQ ID NO: 106). 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the allergic disorder or autoimmune disease is the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. 
     
     
         28 . A method of treating an allergic disorder or autoimmune disease in a subject, comprising the step of administering to said subject an effective amount of a population NKT cells which are cytolytic against cells presenting an antigen obtained by
 in vitro contacting peripheral blood cells with a fusion peptide of between 12 and 100 amino acids wherein said fusion peptide comprises:
 (i) a first peptide of the antigen comprising the [FWYH]-X(2)-[VILM]-X(2)-[FWYH] (SEQ ID NO: 61) first sequence motif, wherein the antigen is myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), and 
 (ii) a [HW]-X(0,2)-C-X(2)-C ((SEQ ID NO: 7), (SEQ ID NO: 8), (SEQ ID NO: 9)) or C-X(2)-C-X(0,2)-[HW] ((SEQ ID NO: 10), (SEQ ID NO: 11), (SEQ ID NO: 12)) redox motif sequence, which is immediately adjacent or separated by at most 7 amino acids from said first sequence motif 
   expanding said cells in the presence of interleukin 2.