Use of IL-7 for treating autoimmune diseases, in particular insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The use of interleukin 7 or T cells pre-incubated in the presence of IL-7 for preparing a drug or pharmaceutical composition for treating an auto-immune disease, particularly an auto-immune disease induced by a defect in CD4+ T cell immunoregulation, is disclosed.

1 . Use of interleukin-7 or T lymphocytes previously incubated in the presence of IL-7 for preparing a drug or a pharmaceutical composition for treating an autoimmune disease.  
     
     
         2 . Use according to  claim 1 , said autoimmune disease being generated by a failure in the production of IL-4 by Th2 cells.  
     
     
         3 . Use according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , said autoimmune disease being generated by a failure in the production of IL-4 connected with a quantitative and functional deficiency of a T cell with sub-type HSA − , CD4 − CD8 −  or CD4 + CD8 − , CD44 + , TCR-αβ + , Vβ8 30  , NK1.1 + .  
     
     
         4 . Use according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , said autoimmune disease being insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune encephalo-myelitis, autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis, autoimmune type 2 hepatitis, autoimmune gastritis, autoimmune sclerosis, sialadenitis, adrenalitis, oophoritis, glomerulonephritis or autoimmune thyroiditis or autoimmune type pathogenic mechanisms in a therapy associated with treating AIDS.  
     
     
         5 . Use according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3  or  4 , said autoimmune disease being insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.  
     
     
         6 . Use according to any one of the preceding claims, said T lymphocytes being autological or syngeneic cells from cells of patients for whom the pharmaceutical composition comprising them is intended.  
     
     
         7 . A pharmaceutical composition for treating autoimmune diseases comprising as the active principle, autologous or syngeneic T lymphocytes from cells of the patient for whom the pharmaceutical composition is intended, said T lymphocytes having previously been incubated in the presence of IL-7.  
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7 , for treating an autoimmune disease generated by a failure in the production of IL-4 by Th2 cells.  
     
     
         9 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7  or  claim 8 , for treating an autoimmune disease generated by a failure in the production of IL-4 connected with a quantitative and functional deficiency of cells of the sub-type HSA − , CD4 − CD8 −  or CD4 + CD8 − , CD44 + , TCR-αβ + , Vβ8 + , NK1.1 + .  
     
     
         10 . A pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims  7 ,  8  or  9 , for treating insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.  
     
     
         11 . A process for producing a pharmaceutical composition for treating autoimmune diseases, comprising mixing autologous or syngeneic T lymphocytes from cells of the patient for whom the composition is intended, said T lymphocytes having previously been incubated in the presence of IL-7 with a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle or diluent, optionally combined with other active principles.  
     
     
         12 . A process for producing a pharmaceutical composition for treating an autoimmune disease according to  claim 11 , said autoimmune disease being generated by a failure in the production of IL-4 by Th2 cells.  
     
     
         13 . A process for producing a pharmaceutical composition for treating an autoimmune disease according to  claim 11  or  claim 12 , said autoimmune disease being generated by a failure in IL-4 production connected with a quantitative and functional deficiency of T cells with sub-type HSA − , CD4 − CD8 −  or CD4 + CD8 − , CD44 + , TCR-αβ + , Vβ8 + , NK1.1 + .  
     
     
         14 . A process for producing a pharmaceutical composition for treating an autoimmune disease according to  claim 11 ,  12  or  13 , said autoimmune disease being insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.  
     
     
         15 . A therapeutic treatment method in which a therapeutically effective dose of interleukin-7 or T lymphocytes which have previously been incubated in the presence of IL-7 is administered to a patient with an autoimmune disease.  
     
     
         16 . A therapeutic treatment method in which a therapeutically effective dose of interleukin-7 or T lymphocytes which have previously been incubated in the presence of IL-7 is administered to a patient with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.