Methods of selecting T cell receptor V peptides for therapeutic use

1. A method of identifying a T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent in a subject affected with an autoimmune disease, comprising:

a) contacting T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease with TCR V beta peptides, TCR V alpha peptides, or both TCR V beta peptides and TCR V alpha peptides in vitro, wherein the TCR V beta peptides and the TCR V alpha peptides comprise a complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) peptide,

b) detecting cytokine expression by the T cells, wherein detecting cytokine expression comprises detecting expression of interleukin (IL)-10, to select a TCR V peptide of interest that produces altered expression of IL-10 by the T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to T cells from a healthy control subject that does not have the autoimmune disease, wherein altered IL-10 expression is indicated by at least a 50% higher expression of IL-10 by T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to expression of IL-10 by T cells from the healthy control subject; and

c) assessing the regulatory activity of CD4+CD25+ T cells isolated from the subject with the autoimmune disease, wherein the CD4+CD25+ T cells are specifically elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest,

wherein an increase in the regulatory activity of the CD4+CD25+ T cells elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest identifies the TCR V peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autoimmune disease is multiple sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis, type I diabetes, non-obese diabetes, myasthenia gravis, Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or psonasis.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the autoimmune disease is multiple sclerosis.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises contacting T cells with TCR V beta peptides.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises contacting T cells with TCR V alpha peptides.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein expression of IL-10 is determined by an immunospot assay.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein assessing the regulatory activity of the CD4+CD25+ T cells comprises

contacting CD4+ T cells with the TCR V peptide of interest to produce regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells;

contacting the regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells with CD4+CD25− indicator T cells; and

determining the proliferation of the CD4+CD25− indicator T cells or the release of inflammatory cytokines by the CD4+CD25− indicator cells after stimulation of a T cell receptor on the CD4+CD25− indicator cells.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the stimulation of the T cell receptor comprises contacting the CD4+CD25− indicator cells with an antibody that specifically binds CD3 and an antibody that specifically binds CD28 or contacting the CD4+CD25− cells with a specific antigen.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a decrease in the proliferation of the CD4+CD25− indicator T cells in the presence of the regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells as compared to the proliferation of the CD4+CD25− indicator cells in the absence of the regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells indicates that the TCR V peptide elicits regulatory activity.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TCR V alpha peptides and the TCR V beta peptides are 15 to 30 amino acids in length.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TCR V alpha peptides comprise an individual TCR V alpha peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth as one of SEQ ID NOs: 1-51.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TCR V beta peptides comprise an individual TCR V beta peptide consisting of an amino acid sequence set forth as one of SEQ ID NOs: 52-116.

13. A method of identifying a T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent in a subject affected with an autoimmune disease, comprising:

a) contacting T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease with TCR V beta peptides, TCR V alpha peptides, or both TCR V beta peptides and TCR V alpha peptides, wherein the TCR V beta peptides and the TCR V alpha peptides comprise a complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2) peptide;

b) detecting interleukin (IL)-10 expression by the T cells to select a TCR V peptide of interest that produces altered expression of interleukin (IL)-10 by the T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to T cells from a healthy control subject that does not have the autoimmune disease, wherein altered IL-10 expression is indicated by at least a 50% higher expression of IL-10 by T cells from the subject with the autoimmune disease as compared to expression of IL-10 by T cells from the healthy control subject; and

c) assessing the regulatory activity of CD4+CD25+ T cells isolated from the subject with the autoimmune disease, wherein the CD4+CD25+ T cells are specifically elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest,

wherein altered IL- 10 expression and an increase in the regulatory activity of the CD4+CD25+ T cells elicited in response to the TCR V peptide of interest identifies the TCR V peptide of interest as being of use as a therapeutic agent.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein assessing the regulatory activity of the CD4+CD25+ T cells comprises

contacting CD4+ T cells with the TCR V peptide of interest to produce regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells;

contacting the regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells with CD4+CD25− indicator T cells; and

determining the proliferation of the CD4+CD25− indicator T cells or the release of inflammatory cytokines by the CD4+CD25− indicator cells after stimulation of a T cell receptor on the CD4+CD25− indicator cells.