Interference No. 105,188
Short v. Punnonnen
natural ligands (e.g., CTLA4 and CD28) include a soluble
peptide having B7-2 binding activity but lacking the ability
to costimulate immune cells, antibodies that block the
binding of B7-2 to its ligands and fail to deliver a co-
5 stimulatory signal (so called “blocking antibodies”, such as
blocking anti-B7-2 antibodies), B7-2-Ig fusion proteins,
which can be produced in accordance with the teachings of
the present invention, as well as soluble forms of B7-2
receptors, such as CTLA4Ig or CD28Ig. . . . .
10
Another aspect of the invention features methods for
upregulating immune responses by delivery of a costimulatory
signal to T cells through use of a stimulatory form of B7-2
antigen, which include soluble, multivalent forms of B7-2
15 protein, such as a peptide having B7-2 activity and B7-2
fusion proteins. Delivery of a stimulatory form of B7-2 in
conjunction with antigen may be useful prophylactically to
enhance the efficiency of vaccination against a variety of
pathogens and may also be useful therapeutically to
20 upregulate an immune response against a particular pathogen
during an infection or against a tumor in a tumor-bearing
host.
In the Detailed Description of the Invention, the Freeman
25 PCT teaches:
Costimulatory molecules within the scope of the invention
are referred herein as CTLA4/CD28 ligands (counter-
receptors) or B lymphocyte antigens. Novel B lymphocyte
antigens which provide costimulation to activated T cells
30 to thereby induce T cell proliferation and/or cytokine
secretion include the B7-2 (human and murine) and the B7-3
antigens described and characterized herein.
(Exh. 2040, p. 10, ll. 6-10);
35 [O]ne aspect of this invention pertains to isolated nucleic
acids comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a novel
costimulatory molecule, such as the B lymphocyte antigen
B7-2, fragments of such nucleic acids, or equivalents
thereof. . . . The term equivalent is intended to include
40 nucleotide sequences encoding functionally equivalent B
lymphocyte antigens or functionally equivalent peptides
having an activity of a novel B lymphocyte antigen, i.e.,
-7-
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