Methods for treating juvenile arthritis with anti-bile salt-stimulated lipase (bssl) antibodies

Abstract

It provides methods and pharmaceutical compositions comprising antagonists to the protein Bile Salt-Stimulated Lipase (BSSL) for the prevention, prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. It further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising BSSL antagonists and their use in methods for the prevention, prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Suitable BSSL antagonists to be used according to the invention are BSSL antibodies.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for reduction of incidence and/or severity, prophylaxis and/or treatment of an inflammatory disease comprising administering a pharmaceutical effective amount of a BSSL antagonist to a subject in need of such treatment. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an antibody or an antibody fragment specifically binding to human BSSL. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an RNAi molecule or an antisense polynucleotide comprising a sequence complementary to a part of a polynucleotide sequence encoding human BSSL or a sequence complementary thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, allergy, with the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal disorders, with bone and joints, with connective tissues remodelling or musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases or blood vessels, inflammation related to the production of nitric oxide, inflammation related to the skin, abdomen, peripheral or central nervous system, eye or tear glands, ear, nose, mouth, lung, heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, kidney, genitor-urinary tract, and inflammation related to infection or trauma. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein said inflammatory disease is inflammatory bowel disease. 
     
     
         7 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a BSSL antagonist and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient for use in reduction of incidence and/or severity, prophylaxis and/or treatment of an inflammatory disease. 
     
     
         8 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an antibody or an antibody fragment specifically binding to human BSSL. 
     
     
         9 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8  wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         10 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an RNAi molecule or an antisense polynucleotide comprising a sequence complementary to a part of a polynucleotide sequence encoding human BSSL or a sequence complementary thereto. 
     
     
         11 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 7  wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, allergy, with the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal disorders, with bone and joints, with connective tissues remodelling or musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases or blood vessels, inflammation related to the production of nitric oxide, inflammation related to the skin, abdomen, peripheral or central nervous system, eye or tear glands, ear, nose, mouth, lung, heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, kidney, genitor-urinary tract, and inflammation related to infection or trauma. 
     
     
         12 . The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 11  wherein said inflammatory disease is inflammatory bowel disease. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a pharmaceutical composition for reduction of incidence and/or severity, prophylaxis and/or treatment of an inflammatory disease, comprising:
 mixing a BSSL antagonist with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an antibody or an antibody fragment specifically binding to human BSSL. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the BSSL antagonist is an RNAi molecule or an antisense polynucleotide comprising a sequence complementary to a part of a polynucleotide sequence encoding human BSSL or a sequence complementary thereto. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13  for reduction of incidence and/or severity and/or treatment of an inflammatory disease wherein said disease is selected from the group consisting of inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, allergy, with the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal disorders, with bone and joints, with connective tissues remodelling or musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases or blood vessels, inflammation related to the production of nitric oxide, inflammation related to the skin, abdomen, peripheral or central nervous system, eye or tear glands, ear, nose, mouth, lung, heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, kidney, genitor-urinary tract, and inflammation related to infection or trauma. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein said inflammatory disease is inflammatory bowel disease.