Immunosuppressive blood cells and methods of producing the same

Abstract

The present invention refers to a method of producing immunosuppressive blood cells that can be used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, in particular multiple sclerosis, organ graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of producing immunosuppressive blood cells comprising:
 (a) exposing an isolated blood cell sample to a chemotherapeutic agent; and   (b) optionally exposing the isolated blood cell sample to an autoantigen or a derivative thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the exposure takes place in vitro. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the blood cell sample is first treated with the autoantigen and subsequently with the chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         19 . A method for treating a patient suffering from an autoimmune disease, the method comprising:
 (a) obtaining a blood cell sample;   (b) treating the blood cell sample with a chemotherapeutic agent and an autoantigen; and   (c) administering such treated blood cells to the patient;   wherein the treated blood cells ameliorate the autoimmune disease in the patient.   
     
     
         20 . A method for treating an inflammatory disease, organ graft rejection or graft-versus-host disease in a patient comprising administering to the patient a composition comprising
 (a) isolated blood cells treated with a therapeutically effective amount of a chemotherapeutic agent and optionally an autoantigen or a derivative thereof, and   (b) optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the chemotherapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of mitomycin C, C2 ceramide, tunicamycin, mycophenolate-mofetil, tryptophan metabolites, semisynthetic derivates thereof, proteasome inhibitors, and a combination of two or more agents. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the chemotherapeutic agent is mitomycin C. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the autoantigen is selected from the group consisting of natural antigens, synthetic peptides and natural peptides. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the autoantigen is a synthetic peptide of the myelin basic protein. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the synthetic peptide of the myelin basic protein is copaxone. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the disease is organ graft rejection or graft-versus-host disease and the blood cells are only treated with a chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the chemotherapeutic agent is mitomycin C. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the isolated blood cells are whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells.