Jill Wright

US Patent:

20080241130, Oct 2, 2008

Filed:

Mar 28, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/057778

Inventors:

Jill F. Wright - Ashland MA, US
Spencer C. Liang - Mountain View CA, US
Frances K. Bennett - Sudbury MA, US
Mary Collins - Natick MA, US
Beatriz M. Carreno - Clayton MO, US

International Classification:

A61K 39/395
G01N 33/557
A61K 38/17
A61P 11/06

US Classification:

4241301, 435 792, 514 2

Abstract:

The invention provides a novel mouse IL-17F/IL-17A, and further provides uses of such mouse IL-17F/IL-17A in the characterization of the IL-17F/IL-17A heterodimer. The present invention is also related to polynucleotides and polypeptides of the IL-17F/IL-17A signaling pathway, and targeting of the IL-17F/IL-17A signaling pathway in methods of treating IL-17F/IL-17A-associated disorders. The invention thus provides methods of using isolated IL-17F/IL-17A heterodimer, e.g., in a mouse model of airway inflammation, and specific or selective IL-17F/IL-17A modulators (e.g., signaling agonists or signaling antagonists (e.g., specific or selective antagonistic antibodies, specific or selective antagonistic small molecules, etc.)). The invention also provides methods of screening for compounds capable of modulating IL-17F/IL-17A biological activity, e.g., IL-17F/IL-17A signaling antagonists (e.g., using the mouse model of airway inflammation), as well as methods of identifying whether the IL-17F/IL-17A modulator is a specific IL-17F/IL-17A modulator. The invention is also directed to novel methods for diagnosing, prognosing, monitoring, preventing, and/or treating IL-17F/IL-17A-associated disorders, including, but not limited to, inflammatory disorders (e.g., arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis), psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis), respiratory diseases (e.g., airway inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, asthma, allergy), transplant rejection (including solid organ transplant rejection), and inflammatory bowel diseases or disorders (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease). The present invention is further directed to novel therapeutics and therapeutic targets identified by methods of screening of the invention, and uses of such identified therapeutics in methods of treatment and prevention of IL-17F/IL-17A-associated disorders.