Methods and compositions for treatment, prevention, suppression, and/or delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes
View Patent ↗The present invention relates generally to methods and compositions for treatment, prevention, suppression, and/or delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes. More specifically, the present invention relates to the administration of a fusion protein comprising at least one immunoglobulin having one or more diabetogenic epitopes inserted within the variable region, for suspending, preventing or delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes.
1. A soluble immunoglobulin-polypeptide chimera comprising an immunoglobulin having a CDR3 region, wherein a diabetogenic epitope comprising a polypeptide having amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 4 is inserted within the CDR3 region.
2. The chimera of claim 1 wherein the immunoglobulin comprises IgG.
3. The chimera of claim 2 wherein said IgG is human IgG or humanized IgG.
4. The chimera of claim 1 , wherein the at least one diabetogenic epitope replaces a D segment within said CDR3 region.
5. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a chimera according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.