2122132 9310138 PCTABS00022 The invention includes oligonucleotides which are complementary to the 3'-end untranslated regions or to at least some of the splicing recognition region of an mRNA transcript precursor for a particular immunoglobulin heavy chain. More particularly, the oligonucleotides are complementary to at least a continuous 12 nucleotide segment of the sequence upstream to the 3' splice junction up to and including the branch point A residue. Sequences of some of the oligonucleotides of the invention are the underlined portions of SEQ ID NOS: 3-33. These oligonucleotides will hybridize with the splicing recognition region and prevent or inhibit maturation of the mRNA. This will prevent production of mRNA encoding a complete immunoglobulin, so that it will not be translated into a functional immunoglobulin. The invention also pertains to the preparation of these anti-sense oligonucleotides for specifically suppressing IgG and/or IgM production in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases and for specifically suppressing IgE in patients suffering from allergic diseases manifested by immediate-type hypersensitivities.
ANTI-SENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES FOR ISOTYPE-SPECIFIC SUPPRESSION OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN PRODUCTION