US Patent 7425339 CD8alpha mutants

The present invention provides modified CD8 molecules whose binding to MHC is enhanced compared to wild-type CD8, wherein Ser53 of at least one CD8α chain thereof is mutated to another amino acid. It also provides nucleic acids encoding such molecules and methods of using such molecules and nucleic acids in immunosuppressive therapy, in particular as inhibitors of cytotoxic T cell responses.