PEPTIDE USED FOR IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS

Claims

1. A peptide that is capable of being recognized by a CD4+ T cell to induce a humoral immune response, the peptide comprising: B-A1-T-A2, where B is a B-cell epitope consisting of the sequence RNVPPIFNDVYWIAF (SEQ ID NO: 6), where A1 is absent or represents one or two nonstandard amino acids, where T is a pan-DR binding epitope (PADRE), which consists of formula II X1-X2-Val-X3-Ala-X4-Thr-Leu-Lys-Ala-Ala [formula II], where X1 is lysine (Lys) or arginine (Arg), X2 is tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), or L-cyclohexylalanine, X3 is lysine (Lys), tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), arginine (Arg), alanine (Ala), or methionine (Met), and X4 is asparagine (Asn), tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), valine (Val), histidine (His), lysine (Lys), or alanine (Ala), where A2 is absent or represents one to six standard amino acids.

2. The peptide of claim 1, wherein T consists of a peptide sequence selected from the group consisting of K(Cha)VAAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 1), K(Cha)VKANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 225), K(Cha)VKANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 226), K(Cha)VKAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 227), K(Cha)VKAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 228), K(Cha)VWANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 229), K(Cha)VWANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 230), K(Cha)VWAYTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 231), K(Cha)VWAVTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 232), K(Cha)VYAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 233), K(Cha)VYAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 234), R(Cha)VRANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 235), K(Cha)VKAHTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 236), K(Cha)VKAHTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 237), K(Cha)VAANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 238), K(Cha)VAANTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 239), K(Cha)VAAYTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 240), K(Cha)VAAYTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 241), K(Cha)VAAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 242), K(Cha)VAAKTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 243), K(Cha)VAAHTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 244), K(Cha)VAAATLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 245), K(Cha)VAAWTLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 246), and K(Cha)VMAATLKAA(SEQ ID NO: 247), where (Cha) is L-cyclohexylalanine.

3. The peptide according to claim 1, wherein A1 consists of two non-standard amino acids and A2 consists of two standard amino acids.

4. A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of obesity, containing a therapeutically effective amount of the peptide according to claim 1 and adjuvants.

5. The pharmaceutical composition according to claim 4, wherein the adjuvants comprise an aluminum salt and monophosphoryl lipid A.