PEPTIDE MIMICS OF THE CTLA4-BINDING DOMAIN STIMULATE T-CELL PROLIFERATION

Phage library clones selected by a conformational epitope-recognizing and inhibitory monoclonal antibody may display moieties that mimic a r eceptor/ligand-like three-dimensional structure. This pseudoreceptor/l igand should be able to bind to natural ligand/receptor molecules. We tested this idea using anti-T cell costimulatory molecule antibodies a nd successfully isolated phage clones with costimulatory effects on T- cell proliferation, This strategy facilitates the designing of regulat ory peptide molecules in the absence of precise information about the structure-function relationships in receptor/ligand interactions.