Preventive or therapeutic agent for sensitized t cell-mediated diseases comprising il-6 antagonist as an active ingredient

Abstract

A preventive or therapeutic agent for sensitized T cell-mediated diseases comprising an interleukin-6 (IL-6) antagonist, for example an antibody directed against IL-6 receptor, an antibody directed against IL-6, an antibody directed against gp130, and the like.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for treating a disease mediated by a sensitized T cell, which comprises: (a) providing a pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody that binds to interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor (IL-6R) and inhibits the binding of IL-6 to IL-6R to block the transduction of the biological activity of IL-6 into the cell, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; and (b) systemically administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of the pharmaceutical composition, wherein the disease mediated by the sensitized T cell is multiple sclerosis. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the antibody directed against the IL-6R is a recombinant antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the antibody directed against the IL-6R is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-6R is a recombinant monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a recombinant antibody comprising a constant region of a human antibody. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the patient is human and wherein the monoclonal antibody is directed against the human IL-6R. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a PM-1 antibody and the patient in need thereof is a human. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the monoclonal antibody comprises a constant region of a human antibody. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a chimeric or humanized antibody directed against the IL-6 receptor. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the monoclonal antibody is a chimeric or a humanized PM-1 antibody. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by intravenous injection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by subcutaneous injection.