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.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for inhibiting leukocyte migration in a subject suffering from ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, the method comprising administering a pharmaceutical effective amount of an antibody that binds specifically to human bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL) to the subject in absence of another immunosuppressive agent, wherein
 the antibody binds to an epitope present in the N-terminal part of human BSSL corresponding to amino acids 1 to 500 in SEQ ID NO: 2; and   the antibody inhibits, when bound to human BSSL, leukocyte migration.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the subject suffers from ulcerative colitis. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the subject suffers from Crohn's disease. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the antibody binds to an epitope corresponding to amino acid numbers 328 to 341 in human BSSL. 
     
     
         7 . A method for treating ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in a subject, the method comprising administering a pharmaceutical effective amount of an antibody that binds specifically to human bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL) to the subject in absence of another immunosuppressive agent, wherein
 the antibody binds to an epitope present in the N-terminal part of human BSSL corresponding to amino acids 1 to 500 in SEQ ID NO: 2;   the antibody inhibits, when bound to human BSSL, leukocyte migration; and   inhibition of leukocyte migration treats ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in the subj ect.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the antibody inhibits, when bound to human BSSL, binding of human BSSL to CXCR4 and thereby blocks CXCR4 binding to SDF-1 and inhibits SDF-1 induced leukocyte migration. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the subject suffers from ulcerative colitis. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the subject suffers from Crohn's disease. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the antibody binds to an epitope corresponding to amino acid numbers 328 to 341 in human BSSL.