ANTIBODIES TO OX-40 (CD134) CAN IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE AUTOREACTIVE T-CELLS - IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASE

Autoantigen specific CD4(+) T cells have been implicated as the causat ive cell type in: multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune uveitis, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease and graft-vers us-host disease. The pathology of a number of experimentally induced a utoimmune diseases is also mediated by autoantigen-specific CD4(+) T c ells. Ideally, treatment of CD4(+) T-cell mediated diseases would elim inate the autoantigen-specific cells, while sparing the remainder of t he T-cell repertoire. We have developed an effective therapy that dele tes the autoreactive T cells at the site of autoimmune tissue destruct ion. This approach uses an antibody directed against a cell-surface pr otein (OX-40, also known as CD134) that is selectively upregulated on activated autoantigen-specific T cells within the inflamed tissue.