Treatment of autoimmune diseases

Abstract

Compositions can be used to stimulate growth of a hair shaft from a hair follicle. These compositions can include methylated polynucleotides useful in treatment of autoimmune diseases or conditions, including those, such as alopecia areata, that result in hair loss.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of stimulating growth of a hair shaft from a hair follicle, comprising:
 administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a polynucleotide,   wherein said polynucleotide comprises a sequence that encodes a pro-apoptotic protein, or a functional fragment thereof, and wherein the methylation level of CpG dinucleotides of the polynucleotide is about 2 fold to about 4 fold higher as compared to the average methylation level of CpG dinucleotides in a wild type  Escherichia coli  ( E. coli ) genome.   
     
     
         2 . A method of stimulating growth of a hair shaft from a hair follicle, comprising:
 administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a polynucleotide,   wherein said polynucleotide comprises a sequence that encodes a pro-apoptotic protein, or a functional fragment thereof, and wherein about 30% to about 60% of the CpG dinucleotides of the polynucleotide are methylated.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pro-apoptotic protein is selected from the group consisting of Bax, Bak, Bim, Puma, Bad, Bik, Noxa, Bmf, Hrk, Bid, FAS, a caspase, and a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pro-apoptotic protein is BAX, or a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is administered at least one of subcutaneously or intradermally. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is administered to a site of hair loss. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is produced in a bacterium, wherein said bacterium comprises an engineered methylase-coding sequence controlled by a constitutive promoter, and wherein said engineered methylase-coding sequence is stably incorporated into the chromosomal DNA of said bacterium. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the bacterium is  Escherichia coli  ( E. coli ). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the methylase is a CpG methylase. 
     
     
         10 . A method of treating alopecia areata, comprising: administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a polynucleotide,
 wherein said polynucleotide comprises a sequence that encodes a pro-apoptotic protein, or a functional fragment thereof, and wherein the methylation level of CpG dinucleotides of the polynucleotide is about 2 fold to about 4 fold higher as compared to the average methylation level of CpG dinucleotides in a wild type  Escherichia coli  ( E. coli ) genome.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pro-apoptotic protein is selected from the group consisting of Bax, Bak, Bim, Puma, Bad, Bik, Noxa, Bmf, Hrk, Bid, FAS, a caspase, and a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said pro-apoptotic protein is BAX, or a functional fragment thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said polynucleotide is administered at least one of subcutaneously or intradermally. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said polynucleotide is administered to a site of hair loss. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said polynucleotide is produced in a bacterium, wherein said bacterium comprises an engineered methylase-coding sequence controlled by a constitutive promoter, and wherein said engineered methylase-coding sequence is stably incorporated into the chromosomal DNA of said bacterium. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the bacterium is  Escherichia coli  ( E. coli ). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the methylase is a CpG methylase.