MODIFIED LEUKOCYTEN IG-LIKE RECEPTOR FAMILY MEMBERS (LIR'S) WITH INCREASED AFFINITY FOR CLASS I MHC AND THEIR USES IN MODULATING T CELL ACTIVATION

摘要

The present invention provides polypeptides having the property of binding to a given Class I pMHC CHARACTERISED IN THAT said polypeptide has a KD for the said given Class I pMHC of less than or equal to 1 M and/or has an off-rate (koff) for the said given Class I pMHC molecule of 2 S1 or slower AND said polypeptide has at least a 45% identity and/or 55% similarity to a defined high-affinity ILT-like molecule AND said polypeptide inhibits CD8 binding to the given pMHC to a greater extent than a soluble truncated variant of Wild-Type ILT-2. Such high-affinity ILT-like molecules are useful, either alone or associated with a therapeutic agent, for the inhibition of cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses.