Protein product for treatment of infectious diseases and related inflammatory processes
The inventors have found that CD6, a member of the Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich (SRSR) superfamily expressed on human lymphocytes binds to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as to other microbial structures. Thus, a CD6 product is useful for the manufacture of a medicament for therapeutic and/or preventive treatment of an infectious disease or of an inflammatory condition related to an infectious disease or to the presence of a product derived from an infectious agent in a mammal including a human. Examples of such inflammatory conditions are systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock.
1. A method for therapeutic and/or preventive treatment of sepsis in a mammal caused by a Gram-positive and/or Gram-negative bacterium and/or endotoxins, comprising administering to said mammal in need thereof an effective amount of a CD6 product.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sepsis is severe sepsis.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the severe sepsis is septic shock.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the CD6 product is a recombinant CD6.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the CD6 product is a human CD6 product.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the CD6 product comprises the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1.
7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the CD6 product is a murine CD6 product.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a human.
9. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the septic shock is endotoxin-induced septic shock.