| abstract |
Two kinds of antibody antagonists of the binding of human IL-4 to cellular receptors are provided by this invention. Some of the antagonists bind to specific regions of IL-4 which are believed to be involved in interactions between IL-4 and its receptors. Because of this specific binding by the antibodies to the IL-4, the binding of the IL-4 to the receptors is substantially inhibited. The other antibody antagonists of the invention are anti-idiotypic antibodies which, while lacking IL-4 activity, appear to mimic IL-4 and to compete directly with it for binding to the cellular receptors. Polypeptides used to make the antibody antagonists are also provided, together with methods for using the antagonists to inhibit the binding of IL-4 to its cellular receptors. |