NEW INTERLEUKIN-7 IMMUNOCONJUGATES

Claims

The present invention relates generally to mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides, immunoconjugates, and in particular to immunoconjugates comprising a mutant interleukin-7 polypeptide and an antibody that binds to PD-1. The invention also relates to polynucleotide molecules encoding the mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides or the immunoconjugates, and to vectors and host cells comprising such polynucleotide molecules. The invention further relates to methods for producing the mutant interleukin-7 polypeptides, immunoconjugates, pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and uses thereof.

1. A mutant interleukin-7 (IL-7) polypeptide comprising amino acid substitutions E13K and G85E, wherein the numbering is relative to the human IL-7 sequence of SEQ ID No.

64.

12. One or more isolated polynucleotides encoding the mutant IL-7 polypeptide according to any of claims 1 to 3 or the immunoconjugate according to any of claims 4 to 11.

13. One or more vectors, in particular expression vectors, comprising the polynucleotide(s) of claim 12.

14. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide(s) of claim 12 or the vector(s) of claim 13.

15. A method for producing a mutant IL-7 polypeptide or an immunoconjugate comprising a mutant IL-7 polypeptide and an antibody that binds to PD-1, comprising (a) culturing the host cell according to claim 14 under conditions suitable for the expression of the mutant IL-7 polypeptide or the immunoconjugate, and optionally (b) recovering the mutant IL-7 polypeptide or the immunoconjugate.

16. A mutant IL-7 polypeptide or an immunoconjugate comprising a mutant IL-7 polypeptide and an antibody that binds to PD-1, produced by the method according to claim 15.

17. A pharmaceutical composition comprising (a) the mutant IL-7 polypeptide according to any of claims 1 to 3 and 16 or the immunoconjugate according to any of claims 4 to 11 and 16 and (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.