Methods and materials herein are useful for assessing and/or treating autoimmune ataxias associated with septin-specific autoantibodies septin-5-specific autoantibodies For example, septin-5 polypeptides are provided as well as methods for using septin-5 polypeptides to detect septin-5-specific autoantibodies and/or to treat a mammal having an autoimmune ataxia.

The invention provides immunostimulatory glycolipids and compositions thereof and methods of use thereof.

Methods and materials herein are useful for assessing and/or treating autoimmune ataxias associated with septin-specific autoantibodies (e.g., septin-5-specific autoantibodies). For example, septin-5 polypeptides are provided as well as methods for using septin-5 polypeptides to detect septin-5-specific autoantibodies and/or to treat a mammal having an autoimmune ataxia.

The present invention concerns uses of immune suppressive domains. In particular, the present invention concerns a use of an immune suppressive domain (ISD) for immune suppression and for reduction of inflammation.

The invention relates to isolated immunogenic peptides comprising a CD1d binding peptide, and immediately adjacent or separated from said CD1d binding peptide, a redox motif sequence which is further flanked by a histidine or tryptophan amino acids. The invention further relates to these peptides for use as a medicament The invention further relates to methods wherein these peptides are used for generating NKT cells which are cytolytic against cells presenting the cognate antigen.

The present invention provides nanoparticles comprising a) a micelle comprising an amphiphilic polymer with a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 20,000 g/mol or less, and b) at least one peptide comprising at least one T cell epitope. The present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising these nanoparticles and the use of the compositions for suppressing specific immune responses.

The present invention provides an immunomodulatory composition useful for treating or preventing joint damage comprising at least a set of peptides possessing an amino acid sequence having at least 80%, 85% and 90% sequence identity with the peptides corresponding to SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3 and SEQ ID NO:4 and a method for the treatment or prevention of joint damage comprising the steps of a) extract monocytes from a patient with a rheumatological disease; b) culture the monocytes extracted in the previous step in AIM-V medium with GM-CSF and IL-4; c) wash the monocytes and add dexamethasone; d) load the tDCs with the immunomodulatory composition comprising autoantigenic peptides; e) add MPLA; and f) incorporate the tDCs loaded with autoantigenic peptides into the patient. The present invention includes methods for the treatment or prevention of rheumatological disease comprising a wide range of tDCs performed by different protocols.

Microorganisms are provided, such as lactic acid bacteria (e.g., Lactococcus lactis) containing an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an IL-10 polypeptide and an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a CeD-specific antigen (e.g., a gliadin polypeptide comprising at least one HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, at least one deamidated HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, at least one HLA-DQ8 specific epitope, at least one deamidated HLA-DQ8 specific epitope, or a combination of (a) at least one HLA-DQ2-specific epitope and/or at least one deamidated HLA-DQ2 specific epitope, and (b) at least one HLA-DQ8 specific epitope and/or at least one deamidated HLA-DQ8 specific epitope) polypeptide, wherein both exogenous nucleic acids are integrated into the bacterial chromosome. Such microbial strains are suitable for human therapy. Compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions), methods of using the microorganisms and compositions are provided, e.g., for the treatment of celiac disease (CeD). The microorganism may be administered orally, delivering the microorganism into the gastrointestinal tract, where it is released and expresses the bioactive polypeptides.

The disclosure features isolated polynucleotides, such as mRNAs, encoding a polypeptide that disrupts immune cell activity, such as T cell or B cell activity, including mRNAs comprising one or more modified nucleobase. The immune cell disruptor polynucleotides encode a polypeptide that comprises a first domain that mediates association of the polypeptide with an immune cell component and a second domain that mediates inhibition of immune cell activity when the polypeptide is expressed in the immune cell. The disclosure also features methods of using the same, for example, for inhibiting immune responses when administered to a subject, such as to inhibit autoimmune reactions.

Disclosed herein are chimeric antigen receptors (“CARs”) comprising an antigen binding site that recognizes citrullinated polypeptides. Citrullinated polypeptides, such as citrullinated vimentin, fibrinogen, and filaggrin, are expressed in the synovium of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. Further disclosed are T cells, and in particular, Treg cells, that express these CARs. Administration of these CAR-T cells is useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as well as other diseases associated with citrullinated peptides.