IMMUNOGENIC COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN IL-13 ELEMENT AND T CELL EPITOPES, AND ITS THERAPEUTIC USE

摘要

The present invention relates to isolated immunogens and their use in the treatment of diseases that are treatable with neutralisation of IL-13, such as COPD, asthma and atopic disorders such as hayfever, contact allergies and atopic dermatitis. In particular the invention relates to the neutralisation of the biological effects of IL-13 by raising an immune response against the IL-13 by vaccination of a mammal with immunogens comprising the native or mutated amino acid sequence of IL-13, and foreign T-helper epitopes either inserted in, or attached to the IL-13 sequence or present in carrier polypeptides. Also provided by the present invention are DNA vaccines that comprise a polynucleotide sequence that encodes the immunogens of the presen t invention. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such immunogens and their use in medicine and to methods for thei r production.