USE OF A B CELL SUPERANTIGEN PEPTIDE AS AN IMMUNOGEN
UCLA Technology Available For Licensing

B cell superantigens (Ig-SAg) are compounds which can bind to an unusually large number of B cells. This binding most often occurs by the nonconventional recognition of conserved regions of families of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) gene products. Two recently described Ig-SAgs are the coat membrane protein of Staphyloccocus aureus, protein A and the envelope glycoprotein of HIV-1, gp120. Recently UCLA investigators have identified a 20 amino acid peptide that has unique Ig-SAg binding activity. This is the first documentation of such peptide Ig-SAg.

This peptide can be used to selectively target a large subpopulation of B cells or soluble serum antibodies allowing for a variety of potential uses. Such uses could include the modulation of the humoral immune response, or use as an adjuvant to allow efficient uptake and presentation of linked epitopes. As such, this concept of an Ig-SAg peptide ligand could be useful in vaccine design as well as in designing therapies for autoimmune disease, pathogenic infections, and neoplasia.

Reference: UCLA Case No. 1997-517

For additional technical details and current licensing
availability, please contact the following UCLA office:

UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
11000 Kinross Avenue, Suite #200
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7231
Tel: 310-794-0558 Fax: 310-794-0638
email: ncd@research.ucla.edu
Lead Inventor: Jonathan Braun

UCLA Technologies Available for Licensing
http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech

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