Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Pierre-Oliver Couraud

Glenn E Nedwin

Jeffrey J Seilhamer

Tim Bringman

Timothy S Bringman

Pharmaceutical compositions useful in the treatment of autoimmune conditions include as an active ingredient a soluble lectin having a molecular weight of about 14 kilodaltons or a fragment thereof. The lectin or fragment binds &bgr;-galactoside-containing moieties independent of the presence or absence of Ca , stimulates hemagglutination of trypsinized rabbit erythrocytes in standard lectin assays wherein the stimulation is inhibited by lactose or thiogalactoside, has an amino acid sequence containing at least one N-glycosylation site and is at least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence shown in positions 2-135 of FIG. or the relevant portions thereof. The composition is used for treatment of autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, and multiple sclerosis, as well as modulating the immune response in an allergic reactions or to organ or tissue transplant rejection. The inventive composition can be combined with general immunosuppressants.

Use of HL-60-related lectins in drug delivery and detection of lectin-expressing cells

Human HL-60 lectin having an amino acid sequence different from other known animal lectins is disclosed. This is one member of a class of mammalian lectins extractable in lactose or detergent and specific for beta-D-galactosides (14-beta-gal lectin which contains at least one glycosylation site). Recombinant methods and materials for production of the mammalian 14-beta-gal lectins, especially HL-60 lectin, in a variety of hosts, and methods to utilize the resulting lectins are also described. Human HL-60 lectin is found in HL-60 cells and in placental tissue.

Growing community of inventors

Auffargis, France

Pierre-Oliver Couraud