Compositions and methods for administering to humans, peptides capable of down regulating an antigen specific immune response

摘要

The present invention provides therapeutic compositions and methods for treating disease conditions in humans associated with an antigen specific immune response by the human to an antigen such as a protein antigen (i.e. allergy and autoimmune diseases). Therapeutic compositions of the invention are reproducible preparations which are suitable for human therapy. Compositions of the invention comprise at least one isolated peptide having a defined sequence of amino acid residues and the composition is capable of down regulating an antigen specific immune response to an offending antigen in a population of humans subject to the antigen specific immune response. Compositions and methods of the invention may be used to treat sensitivity to protein allergens in humans and may also be used to treat autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, myasthenia gravis, Grave's disease, Good Pasture's syndrome, thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis.