Use of modified cells for the treatment of multiple sclerosis

1. A chemically-coupled cell which is a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) or a red blood cell (RBC) that is chemically coupled to a cocktail of peptides, which cocktail comprises at least one of the following groups of immunodominant myelin peptides:

Group (a) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 83-99 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 and MOG 35-55 ;

Group (b) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 82-98 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 and MOG 35-55 ;

Group (c) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 83-99 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 , MOG 35-55 and MBP 82-98 ; or

Group (d) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 and MOG 35-55 .

2. The chemically-coupled cell according to claim 1 , which is a red blood cell.

3. The chemically-coupled cell according to claim 1 , which is a peripheral blood mononuclear cell.

4. The chemically-coupled cell according to claim 1 , wherein the peptides are chemically coupled by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (ECDI).

5. A process for the manufacture of a chemically-coupled cell according to claim 1 , comprising contacting said PBMC or RBC with at least one of said cocktail of peptides of groups (a)-(d) in the presence of a coupling agent.

6. A The process according to claim 5 , wherein the coupling agent is 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (ECDI).

7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising one or more of the chemically-coupled cells according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

8. A medical product comprising one or more of the chemically-coupled cells according to claim 1 and an anticoagulant.

9. A method for the therapeutic treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering into said subject a therapeutically effective amount of said chemically-coupled cells according to claim 1 .

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the cells are allogenic cells relative to said subject.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the cells are autologous cells relative to said subject.

12. A method for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering into said subject the pharmaceutical composition according to claim 7 .

13. The chemically-coupled cell according to claim 1 , wherein the cocktail of peptides comprises at least one of the groups of immunodominant myelin peptides selected from:

Group (a) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 83-99 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 and MOG 35-55 ; and

Group (c) consisting of MBP 13-32 , MBP 83-99 , MBP 111-129 , MBP 146-170 , PLP 139-154 , MOG 1-20 , MOG 35-55 and MBP 82-98 .

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the subject is a human subject.