The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 07, 1997
Filed:
May. 19, 1994
Christophe O Benoist, Strasbourg, FR;
Diane J Mathis, Strasbourg, FR;
Valerie Kouskoff, Denver, CO (US);
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, Paris, FR;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, FR;
Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg 1, Paris, FR;
E.R. Squibb & Sons, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
A transgenic animal model for arthritis is disclosed. The arthritic condition results from genetic (or immunologic) manipulations that result in the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of the animal being substantially limited relative to the TCR repertoire of a wildtype control animal. The TCR repertoire of the arthritic animal, albeit limited, is functionally viable. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to transgenic arthritic mice wherein arthritis results from (1) a transgenic allele which encodes and expresses TCR .alpha. and .beta. subunits that combine in T lymphocytes of the transgenic animal to form a TCR that recognizes an antigen comprising one or more epitopes of an oligopeptide derived from amino acids 41-61 of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease and/or (2) polypeptide arthritogenic self antigens derived from endogenous proteins. The transgenic arthritic mice of the invention provides an animal model which faithfully mimics rheumatoid arthritis and by which human arthritogenic and therapeutic anti-arthritic compositions are evaluated. Also provided herein are therapeutic oligopeptides derived from the variable regions of the TCRs of the transgenes of the invention and/or from the amino acid sequence of proteins comprising endogenous polypeptide arthritogenic antigens.