MHC-mediated toxic conjugates useful in ameliorating autoimmunity

摘要

The invention is directed to methods and materials useful in treating autoimmune diseases. The therapeutic agents are of the formula X-MHC-peptide or MHc-peptide-X 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;-represents a covalent bond or a linker bound to X and MHC or to X and peptide by covalent bonds; and-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.