Pseudomonas Exotoxin-Myelin Basic Protein Chimeric Proteins

摘要

A chimeric protein comprising a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin (PE) moiety linked to a myelin basic protein (MBP) moiety is disclosed. The MBP moiety is selected from the group comprising: (a) MBP; (b) amino acids 69-88 of guinea-pig myelin basic protein or an antigenic portion thereof; (c) amino acids 84-102 of human myelin basic protein or an antigenic portion thereof; (d) amino acids 143-168 of human myelin basic protein or an antigenic portion thereof; and (e) an amino acid sequence in which one or more amino acids have been deleted, added, substituted or mutated in the amino acid sequences of (a), (b), (c) or (d), the modified sequence of (e) retaining at least 75% homology with the amino acid sequences of (a), (b), (c) or (d), respectively. Each of the MBP moieties of (b), (c) and (d) are linked to the PE moiety by a pentapeptide linker repeated 1-3 times. The chimeric protein is useful in treating autoimmune diseases, and especially multiple sclerosis.