Methods for reducing immune responses

1. A method for reducing an immune response of a subject to a foreign antigen, comprising:

administering a fusion molecule to a subject for reducing an immune response and inducing tolerogenesis, the fusion molecule comprising:

a foreign antigen comprising an immunogenic gliadin fragment, wherein exposure of the subject to the immunogenic gliadin fragment elicits an immune response by the subject and

a cell-binding moiety comprising an antibody fragment fused to the N- or C-terminus of the foreign antigen; and

wherein said administration is intravenous,

wherein an amount effective to reduce an immune response to the foreign antigen is administered,

wherein, upon administration the cell binding moiety non-covalently and specifically binds to glycophorin A on the surface of erythrocytes in blood of the subject with a dissociation constant of between about 10 μM and 0.1 nM as determined by equilibrium binding measurements between the cell-binding moiety and erythrocytes and does not specifically bind to other blood components, and

wherein the binding of the fusion molecule results in the presentation of the antigen to the immune system of the subject, which downregulates the degree to which the immune system responds to the foreign antigen, thereby reducing the immune response to the foreign antigen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N- or C-terminus of the foreign antigen is fused with the cell-binding moiety via a linker.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibody fragment is derived from a 10F7 clone.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the antibody fragment is affinity matured.

5. A method for reducing an immune response of a subject to a foreign antigen, comprising:

administering a molecule for reducing an immune response and inducing tolerogenesis to a subject, the molecule comprising:

an immunogenic component comprising an immunogenic mimotope of gliadin wherein exposure of the subject to the immunogenic mimotope is capable of eliciting an immune response by the subject; and

a cell binding moiety coupled to the immunogenic component comprising an antibody fragment;

wherein the molecule is administered intravenously to the subject in an amount effective to reduce the immune response,

wherein, upon administration the cell binding moiety non-covalently and specifically binds to glycophorin A on the surface of erythrocytes in blood of the subject and does not specifically bind to other blood components, and

wherein the binding of the molecule results in the presentation of the immunogenic component to the immune system of the subject, which downregulates the degree to which the immune system responds to the immunogenic component, thereby reducing the immune response to the immunogenic component.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the immunogenic component is fused with the cell-binding moiety.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the N- or C-terminus of the immunogenic component is fused with the cell-binding moiety via a linker.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cell-binding moiety exhibits a dissociation constant of between about 10 μM and 0.1 nM as determined by equilibrium binding measurements between the cell-binding moiety and erythrocytes.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the immune response is due to the exposure of the subject to one or more cereals, and wherein the antibody fragment is affinity matured.

10. A method for reducing an immune response of a subject to a foreign antigen, comprising:

administering a fusion molecule for reducing an immune response to a subject, the fusion molecule comprising an immunogenic component coupled to a cell binding moiety,

wherein the immunogenic component comprises an antigen foreign to a subject and to which the subject has developed or is likely to develop an unwanted immune response,

wherein the foreign antigen is a food antigen selected from the group consisting of high molecular weight glutenin, low molecular weight glutenin, gliadin, hordein, secalin, and avenin,

wherein the cell binding moiety comprises an antibody fragment that is capable of binding human glycophorin A; and

wherein the fusion molecule is administered intravenously to the subject,

wherein, upon administration the cell binding moiety non-covalently and specifically binds to the surface of erythrocytes in blood of the subject and does not specifically bind to other blood components, and

wherein the binding of the fusion molecule results in the presentation of the foreign antigen to the immune system of the subject, which downregulates the degree to which the immune system responds to the foreign antigen, thereby reducing the immune response to the foreign antigen.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cell binding moiety comprises an antibody fragment that is affinity matured and capable of binding human glycophorin A.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the N- or C-terminus of the immunogenic component is fused with the cell-binding moiety via a linker.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cell-binding moiety exhibits a dissociation constant of between about 10 μM and 0.1 nM as determined by equilibrium binding measurements between the cell-binding moiety and erythrocytes.

14. A method for treating Celiac disease in a subject, comprising:

administering a composition to a subject, the composition comprising an antigen recombinantly fused or chemically conjugated with an erythrocyte-binding moiety;

wherein the antigen is an immunogenic gliadin fragment,

wherein the immunogenic gliadin fragment elicits an immune response, and

wherein the erythrocyte-binding moiety comprises an antibody fragment that binds to human glycophorin A.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the erythrocyte-binding moiety is fused, optionally via a linker to the N- or C-terminus of the antigen.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composition:

reduces, fails to induce or prevents inflammatory responses in antigen-specific T cells when the subject is exposed to the antigenic component alone;

comprises the erythrocyte binding moiety which has a dissociation constant of between 10 μM and 0.1 nM as determined by equilibrium binding measurements between the erythrocyte-binding moiety and human glycophorin A on erythrocytes; or

upon administration to a patient, induces the proliferation of CD8+ T cells having an apoptotic- or exhausted-fate phenotype.