EPITOPES OR MIMOTOPES DERIVED FROM THE C-EPSILON-3 OR C-EPSILON-4 DOMAINS OF IGE, ANTAGONISTS THEREOF, AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC USES

摘要

The present invention relates to the provision of novel medicaments for the treatment, prevention or amelioration of allergic disease. In particular, th e novel medicaments are epitopes or mimotopes derived from the C.epsilon.3 or C.epsilon.4 domains of IgE. These novel regions may be the target for both passive and active immunoprophylaxis or immunotherapy. The invention further relates to methods for production of the medicaments, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in medicine. Also forming an aspe ct of the present invention are ligands, especially monoclonal antibodies, whic h are capable of binding the IgE regions of the present invention, and their u se in medicine as passive immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis.