MHC-MEDIATED TOXIC CONJUGATES USEFUL IN AMELIORATING AUTOIMMUNITY

摘要

The invention is directed to methods and material useful in treating autoimmune diseases. The therapeutic agents are of the formula X1MHC2peptide or MHC2peptide1X wherein X represents a functional moiety selected from a toxin and a labeling group; MHC is an effective portion of the MHC glycoprotein, said glycoprotein dissociated from the cell surface on which it normally resides; and "peptide" represents an antigenic peptide sequence associated with an autoantigen; 1 represents a covalent bond or a linker bound to X and MHC or to X and peptide by covalent bonds; and 2 represents a covalent bond, a noncovalent association, or a linker covalently bound to or associated with the MHC and peptide. These complexes can be used to target helper T-cells which are specifically immunoreactive with autoantigens.