Interleukin-22 polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding the same and methods for the treatment of pancreatic disorders

Abstract

The present invention is directed to interleukin-22 polypeptides and nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.

1 . A method of inhibiting IL-22 signaling that is mediated by an IL-22 receptor complex comprising IL-10Rβ and IL-22R in mammalian cells, said method comprising contacting said cells with an antibody that binds to IL-10Rβ or IL-22Rβ and inhibits formation of the IL-22 receptor complex, thereby inhibiting said IL-22 signaling. 
   
   
       2 . A method of inhibiting IL-22 signaling that is mediated by an IL-22 receptor complex comprising IL-10Rβ and IL-22R in mammalian cells, said method comprising contacting said cells with an antibody that binds to IL-22 and inhibits the binding of IL-22 to the IL-22 receptor complex, thereby inhibiting said IL-22 signaling. 
   
   
       3 . A method of inhibiting the binding of IL-22 to an IL-22 receptor complex comprising IL-10Rβ and IL-22R in mammalian cells, said method comprising contacting said cells with an antibody that binds to IL-22, thereby inhibiting the binding of IL22 to said IL-22 receptor complex. 
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein said cells are pancreatic cells, and said inhibiting results in a decrease of Pancreatis Associated Protein (PAP 1) expression in the pancreatic cells. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 ,  2 , or  3 , wherein the antibody is an antibody fragment. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the antibody fragment is a Fab, Fab′, F(ab′)2, Fv, or sFv fragment. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the antibody fragment is a single-chain antibody. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein the antibody is a humanized antibody. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , wherein the antibody is a human antibody.