SPECIFIC AUTOIMMUNE REACTIONS AGAINST ISOMERISED/OPTICALLY INVERTED EPITOPES: APPLICATION FOR TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

摘要

Methods and compositions for therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of an autoimmune disease by the selective suppression of autoimmune activity against an auto-antigen, which activity involves immunological reactivity with an epitope containing an isomerised peptide linkage and/or an optically inverted amino acid comprise the use of a protein or peptide or analogue thereof containing an epitope recognised by an auto-reactive immune system component involved in said condition, which epitope contains an isomerised peptide linkage and/or an optically inverted amino acid or comprising a compound which immunologically mimics a said protein or peptide.