Peptide constructs including a first peptide segment which includes an
amino acid sequence associated with autoimmune disease, asthma, allergy
or xeno- or allograft transplantation rejections bonded directly or via a
linker or spacer to a second peptide which binds to T cells and which
will redirect the immune response from a harmful Th1 response to a less
harmful Th2 response, or which will bind to T cells to initiate, but not
complete, an immune response causing the T cells to which the first
peptide binds, to undergo anergy and apoptosis, are useful in treating
autoimmune conditions. For instance, the peptide construct
NGQEEKAGVVSTGLIGGGDSAFDVLSFTAEEKAGVYK (SEQ ID NO:14) wherein Th2
stimulating Peptide G (SEQ ID NO:15) is covalently linked, via spacer
GGG, to cardiac myosin molecule My1 (SEQ ID NO:16), can be used for
treatment or prevention of myocarditis.