Alpha b-crystallin as a therapy for inflammation

Abstract

The invention provides methods for treating inflammatory diseases by administering to the subject an effective amount of an agent that provides alpha B-crystallin activity, where the dose is effective to suppress or prevent initiation, progression, or relapses of disease, including the progression of established disease. In some embodiments, the methods of the invention comprise administering to a subject having a pre-existing inflammatory disease condition, an effective amount of alpha B-crystallin protein, to suppress or prevent relapses of the disease.

Description

Background of the invention

[0001] αB crystallin (αBC), a member of the small heat shock protein family, is found in high abundance in the lens of the eye. Together with αA, β and γ-crystallin, αBC forms the main water-soluble structural protein of the vertebrate eye lens, which produces the required refractive index. Studies have suggested that α-crystallin is also involved in the role of molecular chaperones, which can bind to unfolded denatured proteins to inhibit the non-specific aggregation of the lens and maintain its transparency. Interestingly, nude mice knocked out of the αBC gene had normal lenses, suggesting that this crystallin is not required for the development of clear lenses. In addition to the lens of the eye, αBC levels are also high in adult cardiac and skeletal muscle, while expression is low in kidney, lung, central nervous system (CNS) glia, liver, and developing heart and somites.

[0002] αBC expression is associated with several pathological conditio...

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