TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNIZATION DISEASE OR IMMUNE TOXIN

摘要

PURPOSE: To obtain the subject immunotoxin composed of a cytotoxic substance bonded with an epitope or its cross-reaction analog recognizable by T- lymphocyte characteristic to a specific autoimmune disease. CONSTITUTION: This immunotoxin for the treatment or prevention of rheumatic arthritis is produced by bonding an epitope existing in an articular cartilage protein and having an amino acid sequence of formula I or an epitope existing in a 65KD protein of Mycobacterium and having an amino acid sequence of formula II to a cytotoxic substance (e.g. ribosome-inactivating protein or radio isotope) directly or through a linker. An immunotoxin effective to disseminated sclerosis is obtained when the epitope is present in a myelin basic protein and to myasthenia gravis when it is present in an acetylcholine receptor.