Immune Response Corp. announced Tuesday that it has filed aninvestigational new drug application (IND) with FDA for avaccine for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

The treatment is designed to target specific T cells responsiblefor the disease. This putative vaccine is based on a T cellreceptor peptide, termed VB14, and is the San Diego company's(NASDAQ:IMNR) second arthritis vaccine. The first, based onthe VB17 T cell receptor, has been in clinicals since lastSeptember.

Immune Response is basing its vaccine technology on uniquereceptor peptides that have been identified on T cells, includingVB17, VB14 and VB3. It's believed that these cells in particularare able to cause rheumatoid arthritis.

Company scientists have shown that in test tubes the VB17 Tcells -- isolated from a patient -- attack and kill cells liningjoints. And animal studies showed that isolation of specific Tcells responsible for autoimmune disease, followed byvaccination with a portion of that specific T cell receptor,protected animal models against the disease.

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