N-terminally truncated interleukin-38

US10618946B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Andreas WEIGERT · Hofheim, DE
• Javier MORA · San José, CR
• Bernhard Brüne · Wiehl, DE
• Christina DILLMANN · Frankfurt, DE
• Michael Parnham · Bad Soden am Taunus, DE
• Gerd GEISSLINGER · Bad Soden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 14, 2015
• Grant date: Apr 14, 2020
• Expiry date: Jul 14, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2333/54
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention pertains to an N-terminally truncated interleukin (IL)-38 protein, or functional variants thereof, as well as to nucleic acids and vectors encoding the truncated IL-38 peptide and recombinant cells comprising these nucleic acids or vectors. The invention shows that IL-38 is N-terminally processed and that the truncated version of the cytokine acts as an antagonist of immune activation in macrophages. This indicates a use of the truncated cytokine in the treatment and prevention of autoimmune disorders. The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the truncated IL-38 protein, and method for screening modulators of the function of truncated IL-38.