Title of Invention

"PEPTIDE INHIBITORS FOR MEDIATING STRESS RESPONSES"

Abstract The present invention relates to peptides capable of inhibiting cellular and immune stress responses in a eukaryotic cell. The invention provides compositions and methods for the treatment of human degenerative diseases and inflammation, utilizing peptides recognized by monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies, the peptides having anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity. The invention further provides antibody molecules and uses thereof for the isolation of such peptides.
Full Text PEPTIDE INHIBITORS FOR MEDIATING STRESS RESPONSES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to peptides recognized by monoclonal anti-DNA
antibodies, the peptides being capable of inhibiting cellular and immune stress
responses in a eukaryotic cell, for the treatment of human degenerative disorders and
inflammation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Apoptosis
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is of fundamental importance to normal
biological processes including embryogenesis, maintenance of tissue homeostasis,
cellular development of multicellular organisms, elimination of virus-infected cells,
and the development of the immune system (Ellis et al., 1991). It is a type of cell
death that is fundamentally distinct from degenerative death or necrosis in that it is an
active process of gene-directed cellular self-destruction which, in some instances,
serves a biologically meaningful homeostatic function,
£53
The p53 protein, originally identified as a tumor-associated antigen, is the
product of a tumor suppressor gene that functions to arrest the growth of mutated or
aberrant cells (Baker et al, 1990). Functional p53 is believed to detect DNA damage
(Lee et al, 1995) and subsequently induce DNA repair (Kastan et al, 1991), growth
arrest (Kuerbitz et al, 1992), or apoptosis (Yonish-Rouach et al, 1991) of the aberrant
cells. In particular, p53 controls genomic stability by eliminating genetically damaged
cells from the cell population, and one of its major functions is to prevent tumor
formation.
The p53 protein has at least two DNA-binding sites:
(1) the core of the p53 protein, which interacts specifically with a DNA sequence in
icspuusivc genes ei-ueiry et al, iyy2); and
(2) the C-terminus of the p53 protein, which can recognize features common to
damaged DNA in general (Lee et al, 1995; Foord et ah 1991).
The p53 protein is a transcription factor that binds specifically to a consensus
site present in the regulatory sequences of p53-dependent genes (el-Deiry et al, 1992).
Mutation of the p53 gene in the domain encoding sequences involved in binding to
the specific DNA regulatory site causes a loss of tumor suppression. Therefore, it is
not surprising that a significant proportion of natural human tumors bear mutated p53
(Hollsteinetal, 1991).
p53 has a short half-life, and, accordingly, is continuously synthesized and
degraded in the cell. However, when a cell is subjected to stress, p53 is stabilized.
Examples of cell stress that induce p53 stabilization are:
a) DNA damage, such as damage caused by UV (ultraviolet) radiation, cell
mutations, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy;
b) hypertbermia;
c) hypoxia; and
d) deregulation of microtubules caused by some chemotherapeutic drugs, e.g.,
treatment using taxol or Vinca alkaloids.
Stress-activated p53 induces a cascade of events that result in growth arrest or
apoptosis of the stressed cell, thereby preventing the outgrowth of aberrant cells and
tumor formation (Ko, 1996). However, excessive activation of p53 after severe stress
can be harmful to the organism, as tissue function may be damaged by excessive
apoptosis (Komarova, 2001).
Specifically, radiation therapy and chemotherapy exhibit severe side effects,
such as severe damage to the lyrnphoid and hematopoietic system and intestinal
epithelia, which limit the effectiveness of these therapies. Other side effects, like hair
loss, also are p53 mediated and further detract from cancer therapies. Therefore, to
eliminate or reduce adverse side effects in normal tissues associated with cancer
treatment, it would be beneficial to inhibit p53 activity hi normal tissue during
treatment of p53-deficient tumors, and thereby protect normal tissue.
Inactivation of p53 has been considered an undesirable and unwanted event,
and considerable effort has been expended to facilitate cancer treatment by restoring
p53 function. However, p53 restoration or imitation causes the above-described
problems with respect to damaging normal tissue cells during chemotherapy or
radiation therapy. These normal cells are subjected to stress during cancer therapy,
which leads the p53 in the cell to cause a programmed death. The cancer treatment
then kills both the tumor cells and the normal cells.
US Patent No. 6,593,353 discloses p53 inhibitors in the treatment of p53-
mediated diseases, conditions and injuries.
US Patent No. 6,420,136 discloses methods for modulating the activity of the
p53 protein in cells by the addition of a protein which enhances or inhibits the
biochemical activity of p53.
US Patent No. 6,630,584 discloses a single chain antibody which recognizes
an epitope exposed on mutant, but not on wild-type p53 and a DNA molecule
encoding the single chain Fv, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the antibody
and methods of treatment using the pharmaceutical compositions,
p53 and Stress-Associated Response
The adverse effects of p53 activity on an organism are not limited to cancer
therapies. p53 is activated as a consequence of a variety of stresses associated with
injuries (e.g., burns) naturally occurring diseases (e.g., hyperthermia associated with
fever, and conditions of local hypoxia associated with a blocked blood supply, stroke,
and ischemia) and cell aging (e.g., senescence of fibroblasts), as well as a cancer
therapy. Temporary p53 inhibition, therefore, also can be therapeutically effective in:
(a) reducing or eliminating p53-dependent neuronal death in the central nervous
system, i.e., brain and spinal cord injury, (b) the preservation of tissues and organs
prior to transplanting, (c) preparation of a host for a bone marrow transplant, and (d)
reducing or eliminating neuronal damage during seizures, for example.
In addition, various degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, ischemic stroke (Mattson, 2001; Martin, 2001), glaucoma
(Nickells, 1999) secondary degeneration after trauma (Raghupathi, 2000), myocardial
infarction (Haunstetter, 1998) are associated with excessive cell death of sensitive
tissue in response to stress. Therefore, temporary inhibition of stress-related cell death
may serve the prevention and therapy of degenerative diseases (Komarova, 2001).
Monoclonal Antibody to the DNA-binding Domain of p53
Antibodies to DNA are characteristic of many autoimmune diseases, notably
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and particularly lupus nephritis. However, there
is at present no generally accepted explanation for the prevalence of anti-DNA
antibodies in autoimmune disorders. Immunity to DNA appears to be driven by an
antigen (Radic et al, 1994), but self-DNA is unlikely to be the driving antigen because
mammalian DNA usually does not induce an anti-DNA immune response (Pisetsky,
1996).
It has been reported that immunization with monoclonal antibodies can induce
immune responses that extend beyond the specificity of the antibody, probably by
anti-idiotypic connectivity based on idiotypic determinants in the variable regions of
the immunizing monoclonal antibody.
According to idiotypic antibody network terminology, Abl is the first
antibody, the antibody binding to the antigen, and Ab2 is the anti-idiotypic antibody
to Abl. The variable region of Ab2 may mimic the conformation of the antigen
because both the antigen and Ab2 can be bound by Abl. Ab3 is the anti-idiotypic
antibody to Ab2. Because of the chain of structural complementarity, Abl and Ab3
can have similar specificity for the original antigen.
The PAb-421 antibody is a prototypic monoclonal antibody that reacts with
the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of p53. The sequences of the variable heavy
(VH) and variable light (VL) chains of the anti-p53 PAb-421 have been elucidated (see
WO 98/56416). The use of PAb-421 antibody for the treatment of cancer was
suggested, since it activated DNA binding of p53 in vitro (see WO 94/12202).
The inventors previously reported that immunization of mice with PAb-421
induced formation of anti-idiotypic antibodies that also bind DNA (Herkel et al.,
2000; and WO 00/23082). Two of these monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies,
designated Idi-1 and Idi-2, mimicked the binding properties of the p53 regulatory
domain and reacted specifically with PAb-421 and double- and single stranded DNA.
Jt was suggested by the present inventors (after the priority date of the present
invention) that damaged DNA has a chemically defined structure that is recognized by
p53 and by ldi-1 and Idi-2 antibodies (Herkel, et al, 2004). Nowhere in the
background art was it taught or suggested that it is possible to identify novel peptides
having anti apoptctic and oui-iuflcuimialui. piujjcuics using such anu-icuotypic
antibodies.
There is an unmet need for novel compositions that may serve to attenuate
cellular and immune stress-response in normal tissue, in a manner that is specific, safe
and effective, thereby reducing the severity of stress associated degenerative diseases
and stress-induced inflammation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides compositions and methods comprising
peptides for inhibiting cellular and immune stress-response to a variety of stressassociated
conditions. The peptides of the present invention exhibit anti-apoptotic and
anti-inflammatory activity, thereby increasing cell survival in cells or tissues that are
exposed to stress,
While the use of antibodies to p53 for inducing anti-tumor immunity has been
described, the present invention demonstrates that anti idiotypic antibodies
immunoreactive with anti-p53 antibodies also may be used to define therapies useful
to prevent or decrease cell death.
Unexpectedly, it is now disclosed that peptides, recognized by monoclonal
antibodies generated by idiotypic immunization to an anti-p53 monoclonal antibody
are of potential use for therapy of human degenerative diseases and in modifying
inflammatory responses. In other words, the anti-p53 antibodies (Abs) can generate
anti-idiotypic Abs, wherein these latter Abs recognize epitopes useful for preventing
cell death or inflammation.
The invention is based, in part, on experiments demonstrating the efficacy of
the peptides of the invention in ameliorating stress-induced cell death and p53-
mediated response, induced by stimuli such as DNA-damaging agents, hyperthermia,
toxic stress and y-irradiation.
Surprisingly, it was further discovered that peptides of the invention exhibit
anti-inflammatory activity, both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the invention demonstrates
that the peptides of the invention are useful for treating inflammatory and
autoimmune diseases.
AcnrHirio; the afirct aspeact the invention ic directed tc pcptidcc comprising ^u
epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53
antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the
regulatory domain at the C-terminus of p53. The peptides of the invention exhibit at
least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
In one particular embodiment, the peptides are immunoreactive with an antiidiotypic
antibody directed against the anti-p53 antibody PAb-421 (Herkel et al.,
2000, hereby fully incorporated by reference). In other particular embodiments, the
peptides are immunoreactive with monoclonal antibodies designated Idi-1 and Idi-2,
having structural mimicry properties to the p53 regulatory domain (Herkel et al.,
2004, hereby fully incorporated by reference).
In one embodiment, the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VLCDR3
and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID
NO:15 and 18 and SEQ ID NO:21 and 24. In another embodiment, the anti-idiotypic
antibody is a molecule comprising VL regions and VH regions selected from the group
consisting of SEQ ID N0:9 and 10, SEQ ID NO:11 and 12, analogs and derivatives
thereof.
The peptides are characterized and synthesized by methods known in the art.
In one embodiment, the peptides are characterized by mass spectrometry and
synthesized by chemical synthesis.
According to another embodiment, the peptides may have structural
complementarity to the DNA-binding domain of p53. Without wishing to be bound to
any particular theory or mechanism of action, it is postulated that the peptides may be
capable of binding p53 therefore preventing p53 from binding to damaged-DNA. In
another embodiment, the peptides of the invention exhibit the activity of binding a
protein involved in apoptosis. In another embodiment the peptides of the invention
exhibit the activity of preventing said protein from binding to damaged DNA.
According to certain embodiments the peptide comprises a total of about 5 to
25 amino acids, preferably the peptide comprises from about 5 to about 25 amino
acids, preferably from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
In certain particular embodiments, the present invention provides novel
peptides having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID
MO-1 tn SFD TO NO-4 analogs rlp.rivatives or active, frapments thereof having antiapoptotic
activity and/or anti-inflammatory activity. The peptides of the present
invention are as follows:
SEQ ID NO: 1 - LPPLPYP, designated Stressin-1;
SEQ ID NO.2 - DLSTDALHYRTA, designated Stressin-2;
SEQ ID NO:3 - HPTNQQSLWRWP, designated Stressin-3;
SEQ ID N0:4 - SSLSVDYPTRYP, designated Stressin-4.
In other particular embodiments, the derivative is a retro-inverso peptide,
having an amino acid sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8:
SEQ ID N0:5 - PYPLPPL (all residues in the "D" isomeric form);
SEQ ID NO:6 - ATRYHLADTSLD (all residues in the "D" isomeric form);
SEQ ID N0:7 - PWRWLSQQNTPH (all residues in the "D" isomeric form);
SEQ ID NO:8 - PYRTPYDVSLSS (all residues in the "D" isomeric form).
In one particular embodiment, the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set
forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:1, 2 and 5.
According to other embodiments, the peptides of the present invention are
useful for selectively preventing cell death of normal tissue. In one embodiment, the
peptides inhibit apoptotic activity of mammalian cells. In another embodiment, the
peptides inhibit apoptotic activity of human cells.
According to certain preferred embodiments the peptides of the present
invention are capable of inhibiting apoptotic activity by at least 25%, preferably by at
least 50%, more preferably by at least 75% and most preferably by at least 95%.
The present invention provides peptides having the ability to effectively
inhibit cellular and immune stress responses in normal tissue, and are useful to treat a
disease or condition where inhibition of intracellular protein activity provides a
benefit.
According to some embodiments the peptides of the invention are useful for
treating stress-associated human degenerative diseases. According to other
embodiments the peptides are capable of down regulating immune mediated stress
responses.
In other aspects, the invention is directed to an antibody molecule comprising
VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID
NO: 15 and 18 and SEQ ID NO:21 and 24, and uses thereof for the isolation of
peptides according to the invention. In one embodiment, the antibody molecule
comprises VL regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID
NO:9 and 10 and SEQ ID NO:11 and 12.
According to yet another aspect the present invention provides a
pharmaceutical composition comprising as an active ingredient a peptide of the
invention or a salt thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.
According to another aspect the present invention provides a method for
modulating cellular and immune stress-associated responses in a cell of an organism
comprising exposing the cell to an effective amount of a peptide of the invention, an
analog, a derivative, or a salt thereof.
Diseases and inflammatory conditions that may be treated by the peptides of
the invention include, but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease,
secondary degeneration after trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma, macular
degeneration, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis,
autoimmune uveitis, graft versus host disease, graft rejection, arthritis, systemic
inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adult
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), psoriasis, atherosclerosis, myocardial
infarction, radiation disease, hyperthermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney
failure, infertility and many others.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for treating a degenerative
disease or condition in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the
subject a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide of the invention, an analog, a
derivative, or a salt thereof.
In one embodiment, the disease or condition is a stress-associated degenerative
disorder.
In another embodiment, said subject has a neoplastic disorder and is
undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
In another embodiment, the disease or condition is selected from the group
consisting of: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, secondary degeneration after
trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma, macular degeneration, mvocardial
infarction, radiation disease, hyperthermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney
failure and infertility.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for treating an
inflammatory disease or condition in a subject in need thereof, comprising
administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide of the
invention, an analog, a derivative, or a salt thereof.
In one embodiment, the disease or condition has an etiology associated with
production of at least one pro-inflammatory cytokine selected from IL-6 and TNF-a.
In another embodiment, the disease is an autoimmune disease.
In other embodiments, the disease or condition is selected from the group
consisting of: type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE),
autoimmune uveitis, arthritis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),
psoriasis, atherosclerosis, graft rejection and graft versus host disease.
In one particular embodiment, the disease is multiple sclerosis.
In one embodiment, the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity in response to
cellular and immune stress disorders in normal tissue or cells. According to one
embodiment the peptides of the present invention modulate intracellular protein
activity within a cell in vivo. In another embodiment, the peptides of the present
invention modulate intracellular protein activity within a cell ex vivo.
According to some embodiments the peptide may be administered to the
subject in need thereof by any suitable route of administration, including, but not
limited to, orally, topically, transdermally, parenterally
These and other embodiments of die present invention will become apparent in
conjunction with the figures, description and claims that follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1: DNA content of L12 cells treated with the DNA-damaging agent cisplatin,
i 11 i
Figure 2: Cisplatin (80|oM)-induced p5 3 -mediated cell death of mouse embryo
fibroblasts.
Figure 3: The effect of Stressin peptides on BALB/c mice when subjected to body
irradiation at a dose of 6.5 Gy.
Figure 4: TNF-a secretion of RAW 264.7 macrophages in response to
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CpG-oligonucleotides is inhibited by Stressin-1.
Figure 5: Interleukin-6 secretion of RAW 264.7 macrophages in response to
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CpG-oligonucleotides is inhibited by Stressin-1.
Figure 6: Inhibitory effect of Stressin-1 in development of experimental autoimmune
disease (EAE) in mice.
Figure 7: Amino acid sequences of the variable regions of PAb-421, Idi-1 and Idi-2.
Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) of the light chain or of the heavy
chain are aligned.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides compositions and methods comprising
peptides for inhibiting cellular and immune stress-response to a variety of stressassociated
conditions. The invention provides compositions and methods for the
treatment of human degenerative diseases and inflammation, utilizing peptides
recognized by monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies, the peptides having anti-apoptotic
and anti-inflammatory activity.
Definitions
As used herein, the term "Linear Peptide" means a peptide or polypeptide in
which the amino acids are linked to one another via an amide bond formed between
the alpha-amino group of one and the alpha-carboxylic group of another.
As used herein, "cell" refers to a eukaryotic cell. Typically, the cell is of
animal origin and can be a stem cell or somatic cells. Suitable animal cells can be of,
for example, mammalian and avian origin. Examples of mammalian cells include
human, bovine, ovine, porcine, murine, rabbit cells. The cell may be an embryonic
cell, bone marrow stem cell or other progenitor cell. Where the cell is a somatic cell,
the cell can be, for example, an epithelial cell, fibroblast, smooth muscle cell, blood
cell (including a hematopoietic cell, red blood cell, T-cell, B-cell, etc.), cardiac
muscle cell, macrophage, dendritic cell, neuronal cell (e.g., a glial cell or astrocyte).
In the context of this invention "modulation" means inhibition; i.e., a decrease
in expression. This modulation can be measured in ways which are routine in the art,
for example by Western blot or ELISA assay of protein expression, or by an
immunoprecipitation assay of protein expression.
The term "treating" as used herein includes prophylactic and therapeutic uses,
and refers to the alleviation of symptoms of a particular disorder in a patient, the
improvement of an ascertainable measurement associated with a particular disorder,
or the prevention of a particular immune response (such as transplant rejection).
Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, comprise two heavy chains linked together
by disulfide bonds and two light chains, each light chain being linked to a respective
heavy chain by disulfide bonds in a "Y" shaped configuration. Proteolytic digestion of
an antibody yields Fv (Fragment variable) and Fc (fragment crystalline) domains. The
antigen binding domains, Fab', include regions where the polypeptide sequence
varies. The term F(ab')2 represents two Fab' arms linked together by disulfide bonds.
The central axis of the antibody is termed the Fc fragment. Each heavy chain has at
one end a variable domain (VH) followed by a number of constant domains (CH).
Each light chain has a variable domain (VL) at one end and a constant domain (CL) at
its other end, the light chain variable domain being aligned with the variable domain
of the heavy chain and the light chain constant domain being aligned with the first
constant domain of the heavy chain (CHI).
The variable domains of each pair of light and heavy chains form the antigen
binding site. The domains on the light and heavy chains have the same general
structure and each domain comprises four framework regions, whose sequences are
relatively conserved, joined by three hypervariable domains known as
complementarity determining regions (CDR1-3). These domains contribute specificity
and affinity of the antigen binding site.
The term "antibody" as used herein refers to a polypeptide ligaiid
substantially encoded by an immunoglobulin gene or immunoglobulin genes, or
fragments thereof, which specifically binds and recognizes an epitope (e.g., an
ontjrrwrA Ac ncoH Viteaniri t i i o ti»rm rf»fi»rc the intact mrtlfviiles sjr.h as nolvr.lnnal
antibodies or monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), recombinant and engineered antibodies,
as well as to fragments thereof, such as Fab, F(ab')2, Fab miniantibodies (see, for
example, US Patent 5,910,573, US Patent 6294353, WO 96/37621, US patent
application 08/999,554), Fv, scFv (e.g. U.S. Patent Nos. 4,946,778, 5,091,513 and
5,096,815) and the like which are capable of binding the epitopic determinant.
Antibodies used in the invention can be prepared using intact polypeptides or
fragments containing small peptides of interest as the immunizing antigen. The
polypeptide or oligopeptide used to immunize an animal can be derived from the
translation of RNA or synthesized chemically and can be conjugated to a carrier
protein, if desired. Commonly used carriers that are chemically coupled to peptides
are exemplified by bovine serum albumin, thyroglobulin and keyhole limpet
hemocyanin. The coupled peptide is then used to immunize the animal (e.g., a mouse,
a rat, or a rabbit). Non-limitative methods of generating antibodies are described in
the Examples hereinbelow; however, other methods well known in the art may readily
be used.
By the term "anti-idiotypic antibody" is intended an antibody directed against
(in other words, immunoreactive with) an idiotypic determinant of another antibody.
As used herein, the term "idiotypic determinant" refers to an antigenic determinant or
epitope unique to the immunoglobulin product of a single clone of cells. The idi.otope
is found in the variable region of the antibody. The term "epitope" refers to an
antigenic determinant on a molecule which is recognized by antibodies.
As used herein, the term "immunoreactive" means that the antibody is capable
of binding the antigen with a binding affinity that is indicative of an immune reaction
to the antigen. Such affinities are well known to those of skill in the art and include
affinities of 105 to 1014 M"1. Methods of determining the affinity of an antibody
composition are described in Day, Advanced Immunochemistry, (2nd edition) Wiley-
Liss, New York, N.Y. (1990).
Stressin peptides
According to a first aspect, the invention is directed to peptides comprising an
epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53
antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the
regulatory domain at the C-terminus of p53. The peptides of the invention exhibit at
least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity,
as will be specified hereinbelow.
In one embodiment, the peptides are selected by anti-idiotypic monoclonal
antibodies having structural mimicry properties to the p53 regulatory domain.
According to certain embodiments, the peptides are immunoreactive with monoclonal
antibodies raised against anti-p53 antibodies. In one particular embodiment, the antip53
antibody is PAb-421 (Herkel et al., 2000). In other particular embodiments, the
peptides are immunoreactive with monoclonal antibodies designated Idi-1 and Idi-2,
having structural mimicry properties to the p53 regulatory domain (Herkel et al.,
2004).
In other embodiments, the peptides are immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic
antibody molecule comprising VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the
group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS:21 and 24. In another
embodiment, the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising CDR sequences
selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS:13-18, and SEQ ID NOS:19-24.
In another embodiment, the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VL
regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10,
SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, analogs thereof.
The peptides are characterized and synthesized by methods known in the art.
In one embodiment, the peptides are characterized by mass spectrometry and
synthesized by chemical synthesis, as described below.
The peptides of the invention are preferably from 5 to 25 amino acids, more
preferably from 5 to 15 amino acids and most preferably from 7 to 12 amino acids.
According to certain particular embodiment, the present invention provides
four selected peptides, designated Stressin-1 to 4 (for STress RESponse Specific
peptide INhibitor). The amino acid sequences of certain peptides of the invention are
listed in Table 1 and designated SEQ ID NO:1 through SEQ ID NO:4.
Unless otherwise specified, the amino acid residues described herein are
preferred to be in the "L" isomeric form. However, residues in the "D" isomeric form
can be substituted for any L-amino acid residue, as long as the peptide retains the
desired functional property.
In other particular embodiments, the invention provides analogs, fragments
and functional derivatives of the peptides designated SEQ ID NO:1 through SEQ ID
N0:4, as will be described in detail hereinbelow. According to certain particular
embodiments, the derivatives are retro-inverso peptides having an amino acid
sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8, as specified below. In a
particular embodiment, the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in any one
of SEQ ID NOS: 1,2 and 5.
Previously, mAbs Idi-1 and Idi-2 were demonstrated to specifically bind both
PAb-421 and DNA, single- or double-stranded (Herkel et al., 2000 of some of the
inventors of the present invention). The present, invention provides antibody
molecules directed to PAb-421 comprising variable regions selected from the group
consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10 and SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, and antibody
molecules comprising CDRs having amino acid sequences selected from the group
consisting of; SEQ ID NOS:13-18 and SEQ ID NOS:19-24. Such antibodies exclude
the known mAbs termed Idi-1 and Idi-2.
In one embodiment, the antibody molecule comprises VIGORS and VHCDR3
sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 18
(corresponding to Complementarity Determining Region 3 of the light chain of Idi-1
and Complementarity Determining Region 3 of the heavy chain of Idi-1, respectively)
and SEQ ID NOS:21 and 24 (Idi-2). In another embodiment, the antibody molecule
comprises CDR sequences as presented in Table 4 below, having amino acid
sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS:13-18 (Idi-1) and SEQ
ID NOS: 19-24 (Idi-2). In another embodiment, the antibody molecule comprises VL
regions and VH regions (variable regions of an immunoglobulin light and heavy
chain) selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10 (Idi-1), SEQ ID
NOS: 11 and 12 (Idi-2). The antibody molecules of the invention also include
molecules comprising analogs and derivatives of said VL, regions and VH regions, as
long as the analog or derivative is immunoreactive with the antigen-binding portion of
PAb-421.
In another aspect, the invention provides use of antibody molecules as
described above for isolating peptides exhibiting at least one activity selected from the
group consisting of anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity. Suitable
methods utilizing these antibodies for identification and isolation of the peptides of
the invention are disclosed hereinbelow.
Phage display library
Phage display peptide libraries have emerged as a powerful method in
identifying such peptide agonists and antagonists. See, for example, Scott et al.
(1990), Devlin et al. (1990), U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,409; U.S. Pat, No. 5,733,731; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,498,530; U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,018; U.S. Pat, No. 5,338,665; U.S. Pat. No.
5,922,545; WO 96/40987; and WO 98/15833. In such libraries, random peptide
sequences are displayed by fusion with coat proteins of filamentous phage. Typically,
the displayed peptides are affinity-eluted against an antibody-immobilized
extracellular domain of a receptor. The retained phages may be enriched by
successive rounds of affinity purification and repropagation. The best binding
peptides may be sequenced to identify key residues within one or more structurally
related families of peptides. See, e.g., Cwirla et al. (1997), in which two distinct
families were identified. The peptide sequences may also suggest which residues may
be safely replaced by alanine scanning or by mutagenesis at the DNA level.
Mutagenesis libraries may be created and screened to further optimize the sequence of
the best binders (Lowman, 1997).
The peptides of the invention were selected and isolated from a phage display
library (Ph.D.-7 or Ph.D.-12 from New England Biolabs, Frankfurt, Germany) with an
antibody surrogate of the p53 regulatory domain. The p53 antibody surrogate had
been generated by idiotypic immunization to the PAb-421 monoclonal antibody
(Herkel et al., 2000) which binds the p53 regulatory domain; two monoclonal
antibodies, designated Idi-1 and Idi-2, mimicked the binding properties of the p53
regulatory domain.
The selected candidate peptides were tested for their ability to interfere with
the p53-mediated cellular stress response by testing their capacity to inhibit the
response to hyperthermia of the L12 cell line (Wolf, 1984), which lacks endogenous
p53 activity and had been stably transfected with the p53 gene or a control vector. In
these cells, p53 activity induces growth arrest and cell survival rather than apoptosis
in response to hyperthermia (Nitta, 1997).
Four peptides. designated Strressin-1 to -4 (Tor STress RFSponse Specific
peptide INhibitor), were identified that at concentrations of 100 (J.g/ml inhibited p53-
mediated growth arrest after hyperthermia and induced death of almost all cells with
active p53, which is the response of L12 cells that lack p53 activity (Table 1); the
peptide sequences are shown in Table 2.
Alternative methods for identifying and isolating peptides
Structural analysis of protein-protein interaction may also be used to suggest
peptides that mimic the binding activity of large protein ligands. In such an analysis,
the crystal structure may suggest the identity and relative orientation of critical
residues of the large protein ligand, from which a peptide may be designed (see, e.g.,
Takasaki et al, 1997). These analytical methods may also be used to investigate the
interaction between a receptor protein and peptides selected by phage display, which
may suggest further modification of the peptides to increase binding affinity.
Other methods compete with phage display in peptide research. A peptide
library can be fused to the carboxyl terminus of the lac represser and expressed in E.
coli. Another E. coli-based method allows display on the cell's outer membrane by
fusion with a peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (PAL). Hereinafter, these and
related methods are collectively referred to as "E. coli display". In another method,
translation of random RNA is halted prior to ribosome release, resulting in a library of
polypeptides with their associated RNA still attached. Hereinafter, this and related
methods are collectively referred to as "ribosome display". Other methods employ
chemical linkage of peptides to RNA; see, for example, Roberts and Szostak (1997).
Hereinafter, this and related methods are collectively referred to as "RNA-peptide
screening". Chemically derived peptide libraries have been developed in which
peptides are immobilized on stable, non-biological materials, such as polyethylene
rods or solvent-permeable resins. Another chemically derived peptide library uses
photolithography to scan peptides immobilized on glass slides. Hereinafter, these and
related methods are collectively referred to as "chemical-peptide screening".
Chemical-peptide screening may be advantageous in that it allows use of D-amino
acids and other unnatural analogues, as well as non-peptide elements. Both biological
and chemical methods are reviewed in Wells and Lowman (1992).
Phage display, in particular, is useful in generating peptides for use in the
present invention. It has been stated that affinity selection from libraries of random
peptides can be used to identify peptide ligands for any site of any gene product
(Dedman et al., 1993). Phage display is particularly well suited for identifying
peptides that bind to such proteins of interest as cell surface receptors or any proteins
having linear epitopes (Wilson et al., 1998; Kay et al., 1998).
Synthesis of Peptides of the Invention
The peptides of the invention can be produced by any known chemical and
recombirmnt methods of producing an amino-acid sequence, including
peptidomimetic methodologies (Allen G., 1989; Young, 1963; Meienhofer, 1973;
Schroder and Lupke, 1965). Chemical synthesis is commonly performed by coupling
of the amino acid residues or peptide fragments to one another in correct order in
liquid phase to produce the desired peptide. Another common strategy is the coupling
of the amino acids to one another starting with a solid phase (resin) to which the Cterminal
of the last amino acid of the sequence is coupled, whereupon the C-terminal
of the penultimate amino acid is coupled to the N-terminal of the last amino acid, etc.,
finally releasing the built-up peptide from the solid phase (so called solid-phase
technique).
The term "peptide" refers to molecules of 2 to 25 amino acids, with molecules
of 5 to 20 amino acids preferred and those of 7 to 12 amino acids most preferred.
Exemplary peptides may be randomly generated by any of the methods cited above,
carried in a peptide library (e.g., a phage display library), or derived by digestion of
proteins.
The present invention encompasses any analog, derivative, and conjugate
containing the peptides of the invention, the amino acid sequence of which is shown
herein so long as the peptide is capable of inhibiting apoptosis and/or inflammation.
Thus, the present invention encompasses peptides containing non-natural amino acid
derivatives or non-protein side chains.
The term "analog" includes any peptide or polypeptide having an amino acid
sequence substantially identical to one of the sequences specifically shown herein in
which one or more residues have been conservatively substituted with a functionally
similar residue and which displays the abilities as described herein. Examples of
conservative substitutions include the substitution of one non-polar (hydrophobia)
of one polar (hydrophilic) residue for another such as between arginine and lysine,
between glutamine and asparagine, between glycine and serine, the substitution of one
basic residue such as lysine, arginine or histidine for another, or the substitution of
one acidic residue, such as aspartic acid or glutamic acid for another.
A peptide derivative refers to a molecule comprising the amino acid sequence
of a peptide of the invention subject to various changes, including, but not limited to,
chemical modifications, substitutions, insertions, extensions and deletions where such
changes do not destroy the anti-inflammatory or anti-apoptotic activity of the peptide,
and such derivative is not a known peptide or protein. "Peptide derivative" is intended
to include peptide mimetics, as described hereinbelow. In this regard, a peptide of this
invention corresponds to, and preferably is identical to, one of the peptides listed in
Table 1, where one or more changes are made so long as the polypeptide retains the
inhibitory function of peptide of the invention in one or more of the assays as defined
herein. With respect to the antibody molecules of the invention, a variable region
derivative retains the ability to specifically bind (i.e. is immunoreactive with) the
idiotypic determinant of PAb-421.
Peptide derivatives having chemical modifications include, for example,
peptides having one or more residues chemically derivatized by reaction of side
chains or functional groups. Such derivatized molecules include, for example, those
molecules in which free amino groups have been derivatized to form amine
hydrochlorides, p-toluene sulfonyl groups, carbobenzoxy groups, t-butyloxycarbonyl
groups, chloroacetyl groups or formyl groups. Free carboxyl groups may be
derivatized to form salts, methyl and ethyl esters or other types of esters or
hydrazides. Free hydroxyl groups may be derivatized to form O-acyl or O-alkyl
derivatives. The imidazole nitrogen of histidine may be derivatized to form N-irnbenzylhistidine.
Also included as chemical derivatives are those peptides, which
contain one or more naturally occurring amino acid derivatives of the twenty standard
amino acid residues. For example: 4-hydroxyproline may be substituted for proline; 5-
hydroxylysine may be substituted for lysine; 3-methylhistidine may be substituted for
histidine; homoserine may be substituted or serine; and ornithine may be substituted
for lysine.
In addition, a peptide derivative can differ from the natural sequence of the
peptides of the invention by chemical modifications including, but are not limited to,
terminal-NH2 acylation, acetylation, or thioglycolic acid amidation, and by terminalcarboxyl-
amidation, e.g., with ammonia, methylamine, and the like.
Peptides of the present invention also include any peptide having one or more
additions and/or deletions of residues relative to the sequence of the peptides of the
invention, the sequence of which are shown herein, so long as the requisite inhibitory
activity on apoptosis and/or inflammation is maintained. The term "active fragment"
thus relates to a peptide portion of a full length Stressin peptide of the invention that
has at least one activity that is characteristic of the corresponding full-length peptide.
Non-limitative examples of suitable methods for measuring inhibition of apoptosis
and inflammation are demonstrated herein.
Addition of amino acid residues may be performed at either terminus of the
peptides of the invention for the purpose of providing a "linker" by which the peptides
of this invention can be conveniently bound to a carrier. Such linkers are usually of at
least one amino acid residue and can be of 40 or more residues, more often of 1 to 10
residues. Typical amino acid residues used for linking are tyrosine, cysteine, lysine,
glutamic and aspartic acid, or the like.
A peptide of the invention may also be conjugated to itself or aggregated in
such a way as to produce a large complex containing the peptide. Such large complex
may be advantageous because it has new biological properties such as longer half-life
in circulation or greater activity.
Peptide Mimetic
Peptidomimetics are small molecules that can bind to proteins by mimicking
certain structural aspects of peptides and proteins. They are used extensively in
science and medicine as agonists and antagonists of protein and peptide ligands of
cellular and other receptors, and as substrates and substrate analogs for enzymes.
A primary goal in the design of peptide mimetics has been to reduce the
susceptibility of mimics to cleavage and inactivation by peptidases. In one approach,
one or more amide bonds have been replaced in an essentially isosteric manner by a
variety of chemical functional groups, including, but not limited to urea bond,
carbamate bond, sulfonamide bond, hydrazine bond, or any other covalent bond. In
another approach, a variety of uncoded or modified amino acids such as D-amino
To test whether Stressin peptide may protect an organism from death by
excessive p53 activation and tissue failure by subjecting BALB/c mice to whole body
y-irradiation (6.5 Gy). A retro-inverso peptide was used to determine whether
prolonged in vivo half-life would give an advantage (see Example 6); retro-inverso
peptides are resistant to proteases and consist of D-amino acids in reversed order,
resulting in an altered peptide backbone but unchanged orientation of the side chains
(Van Regenmortel, 1998).
As used herein, the term "retro-inverso peptide" of the Stressin-1 peptide, for
example, as used in a variation of the invention, is intended to encompass peptides in
which the sequence of the amino acids is reversed as compared to the sequence in
Stressin-1 and consist of D-arnino acids in reversed order.
The present invention thus provides retro-inverso Stressin peptides having an
amino acid sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8.
The backbone can comprise a variety of atom types, including carbon,
nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and phosphorus, with the majority of the backbone chain
atoms typically consisting of carbon. A plurality of side chain moieties that include a
terminal guanidino or amidino group are attached to the backbone. Although spacing
between adjacent sidechain moieties is typically consistent, the delivery-enhancing
transporters used in the invention can also include variable spacing between sidechain
moieties along the backbone.
Cell Death and p53 inhibition
Apoptosis, or "programmed cell death", is a process whereby the cell executes
a "cell suicide" program. It is now thought that the apoptosis program is
evolutionarily conserved among virtually all multicellular organisms, as well as
among all the cells.in a particular organism. Further, it is believed that in many cases,
apoptosis may be a "default" program that must be actively inhibited in healthy
surviving cells.
The decision by a cell to submit to apoptosis may be influenced by a variety of
regulatory stimuli and environmental factors (Thompson, 1995). Physiological
activators of apoptosis include tumor necrosis factor (TNF), Fas ligand, transforming
growth factor-p, the neurotransmitters glutamate, dopamine, N-methyl-D-aspartate,
withdrawal of growth factors, loss of matrix attachment, calcium and glucocorticoids.
Damage-related inducers of apoptosis include heat shock, viral infection, bacterial
toxins, the oncogenes myc, rel and E1A, tumor suppressor p53, cytolytic T-cells,
oxidants, free radicals and nutrient deprivation (antimetabolites). Therapy-associated
apoptosis inducers include gamma radiation, UV radiation and a variety of
chemotherapeutic drugs, including cisplatin, doxorubicin, bleomycin, cytosine
arabinoside, nitrogen mustard, methotrexate and vincristine. Toxin-related inducers or
apoptosis include ethanol and d-amyloid peptide. Apoptosis can have particularly
devastating consequences when it occurs pathologically in cells that do not normally
regenerate, such as neurons. Because such cells are not replaced when they die, their
loss can lead to debilitating and sometimes fatal dysfunction of the affected organ.
Such dysfunction is evidenced in a number of neurodegenerative disorders that have
been associated with increased apoptosis, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, retinitis pigmentosa and cerebellar
degeneration.
In one aspect, this invention provides compositions and methods for
preventing or inhibiting apoptosis in eukaryotic cells. Irrespective of the mechanism
by which the peptides of the invention mediates stress responses, and without wishing
to be bound by any theory or mechanism of action, it is postulated that the peptides
may be capable of binding p53 therefore preventing p53 to be bound to damaged-
DNA.
A potential therapeutic inhibitor of p53 is a compound that acts at any stage of
the p53 signaling pathway, and leads to functional inactivation of a p53-mediated
response (i.e., blocking of p53-dependent growth arrest, apoptosis, or both). Prior
investigators did not consider therapeutic p53 inhibitors because therapeutic p53
suppression was considered a disadvantage leading to the onset and proliferation of
cancerous tumors. The present invention, therefore, is directed to the therapeutic and
reversible inhibition of p53 activity, and to peptides capable of such inhibition.
However, there are several objectives that should be mentioned before a
therapy involving suppression of p53 or any other protein that plays a role in
apoptosis or inflammation-related disorders is implemented, for example:
a) providing an inhibitor that is sufficiently efficacious in vivo for practical
administration as a therapeutic dnip:
b) providing an inhibitor that has a sufficiently low toxicity for use in therapy,
and also does not cause undesirable side effects at concentrations sufficient to
inhibit p53 activity;
c) exhibiting inhibition that is reversible. Long-term p53 inactivation, for
example, can significantly increase the risk of cancer;
d) during temporary p53 inactivation, the cells should recover from the applied
stress and the p53-activating signal should be eliminated or reduced, otherwise
restoration of p53 activity while the p53-activating signal is active could result
in cell damage;
e) the p53 suppression therapy is not associated with a dramatic increase in the
frequency of cancer development.
The peptides of the invention can be used alone, or, for example, in
conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation therapy during cancer treatment, to
protect normal cells from p53 programmed death due to stresses inflicted by a cancer
treatment or by a disease or trauma. In addition, during chemotherapy, both tumor and
normal cells are destroyed. Tumor cells are preferentially killed compared to normal
cells, which is the basis of a successful chemotherapy. By administering a therapeutic
p53 inhibitor, for example, normal cells are protected, and the dose of the
chemotherapeutic agent, therefore, can be increased to more effectively treat the
cancer.
It should be understood that the peptides of the present invention do not
necessarily act via modulating p53 activity as some of these peptides exhibited antiapoptotic
activity in p53-deficient cell lines and in p53 activity assays.
Methods to measure apoptosis
Apoptosis is an active, gene-directed self-destruction process of the cell and is
associated with characteristic morphological and biochemical changes. Nuclear and
cytoplasmic condensation and fragmentation of the dying cell into membrane-bound
apoptotic bodies are typical characteristics of apoptosis. Another feature of apoptotic
cell death is the chromosomal DNA degradation into oligonucleosomal fragments
after the activation of specific nucleases.
By "inhibiting apoptosis" or "inhibits apoptotic activity" is meant any
decrease in the number of cells that undergo apoptosis relative to an untreated control
(i.e. cells not exposed to the peptides of the invention). Preferably, the decrease is at
least 25%, more preferably the decrease is at least 50%, and most preferably the
decrease is at least one-fold.
Flow cytometry offers a wide variety of possibilities to measure apoptosis.
Different methods have been established and implemented, some which stain on the
cell surface and some which stain intracellularly.
One of the first approaches was, beside the observation that apoptotic cells
shrink and have higher intracellular granularity, to stain with DNA specific
fluorochromes (e.g. propidium iodide [PI], ethidium bromide [EtBr]). As soon as a
lethal hit is being induced, the DNA starts to change its profile. Apoptotic DNA not
only consists of fragmented DNA (visualized as shorter bands, so called DNA ladder,
in an agarose gel) but is also partially digested into single nucleotides, so that
fluorochromes, like PI or EtBr, have less DNA to stain (Nicoletti et al., 1991). This is
typically observed by a shift to the left, called sub-Gl peak, on the specific
fluorochrome detection channel in the FACScan™ (from Becton Dickinson, USA).
Another method is the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated
endlabeling of the DNA strand breaks (TUNEL). The TUNEL method detects DNA
strand breaks in cells undergoing apoptosis. TdT is an enzyme which catalyzes the
addition of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate to the 3'-OH ends of double or singlestranded
DNA. Unlike normal cells, apoptotic cell nuclei incorporate exogenous
nucleotides (dUTP)-DIG in the presence of TdT. An anti-DIG antibody fragment with
a conjugated fluorochrome enables the visualization of apoptotic cells. An increase of
apoptotic cells causes a higher number of DNA fragments and consequently a brighter
fluorescence. An advantage of this method is the very high specificity (Gavrieli et al,,
1992). A disadvantage of this method is that it is expensive and can only be used for a
small set of samples, because it is time intensive. Therefore, it is not applicable for
large screening programs.
The loss of cell membrane polarity and the presentation of increased amounts
of phosphatidyl serine (PS) on the outside of the cell membrane during the early phase
of apoptosis has led to yet a new approach. Annexin V is a calcium-dependent
phospholipid binding protein with high affinity for PS. The cell membrane integrity is
maintained in the early and intermediate phases of apoptosis. Early and intermediate
apoptotic cells show increased binding of Annexin-FITC and are mainly negative for
Pi-staining. Late apoptotic stages and necrotic cells become double positive, because
of PS presentation on the surface and the PI staining of intracellular nucleic acids due
to disintegration of the membrane. This method is also costly and labor intensive.
Other methods for measuring apoptosis in vivo and in vitro are disclosed in US
PatNos. 6,726,895 and 6,723,567.
Inflammatory stress responses and TNF-a and IL-6 mediated Inflammation
The mammalian response to stress includes not only the response of the
stressed cell, but also the complex activity of the immune system known as
inflammation (Nathan et al., 2002), which includes a large number of immune
activities that serve tissue maintenance and healing (Cohen, 2000).
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are important biological
entities collectively referred to as pro-inflammatory cytokines. These, along with
several other related molecules, mediate the inflammatory response associated with
the immunological recognition of infectious agents. The inflammatory response plays
an important role in limiting and controlling pathogenic infections.
Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are also associated with a
number of diseases of autoimmunity such as toxic shock syndrome, rheumatoid
arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (Dinarello, et al.,
1984). In these diseases, chronic elevation of inflammation exacerbates or causes
much of the pathophysiology observed.
An important and accepted therapeutic approach for potential drug
intervention in these diseases is the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as
TNF (also referred to in its secreted cell-free form as TNF-a) and IL-6. A number of
anti-cytokine therapies are currently in clinical trials. Efficacy has been demonstrated
with a monoclonal antibody directed against TNF-a in a number of autoimmune
diseases (Heath, 1997). These include the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's
disease and ulcerative colitis (Rankin, 1997, and Stack et al., 1997). The monoclonal
antibody is thought to function by binding to both soluble TNF-a and to membrane
bound TNF.
Traumatic brain injury triggers a cascade of events resulting in delayed edema,
necrosis and impaired function. Harmful mediators are accumulating in the brain after
injury and recently, the role of cytokines in the pathophysiology of brain injury has
been suggested. Spatial and temporal induction of TNF-ot and IL-6 activity in rat brain
after closed head injury has been previously reported. An inhibitor of TNF-ci
production, HU-211, was shown to improve the outcome of closed brain injury in an
experimental model (Shohami, et al., 1997). Atherosclerosis is known to have an
inflammatory component and cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF have been suggested to
promote the disease.
The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been implicated with the acute phase
response. IL-6 is a growth factor in a number in oncological diseases including
multiple myeloma and related plasma cell dyscrasias (Treon, et al., 1998,). It has also
been shown to be an important mediator of inflammation within the central nervous
system. Elevated levels of IL-6 are found in several neurological disorders including
AIDS dementia complex, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus
erythematosus, CNS trauma and viral and bacterial meningitis (Gruol et al., 1997). IL-
6 also plays a significant role in osteoporosis. In murine models it has been shown to
effect bone resorption and to induce osteoclast activity (Ershler et al., 1997).
WO 01/01986 discloses particular compounds alleged to having the ability to
inhibit TNF-a. WO 98/52558 discloses heteroaryl urea compounds which are
indicated to be useful in treating cytokine mediated diseases. WO 99/23091 discloses
another class of urea compounds which are useful as anti-inflammatory agents. WO
99/32463 relates to aryl ureas and their use in treating cytokine diseases and
proteolytic enzyme mediated disease.
The present invention shows that Stressiri peptides are useful in interfering and
blocking both TNF-a and IL-6 secretion by macrophage cells in response to innate
activators such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and CpG oligonucleotides (see Example
7), Therefore, these peptides are able to modify the pro-inflammatory signaling
pathway in immune cells. As is demonstrated for Stressin-1 below, the peptides of the
invention play a role in down-regulating the inflammatory immune response to stress.
The present invention further demonstrates the anti-inflammatory properties of
Stressin peptides on autoimmune inflammatory diseases, as exemplified on
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of human
multiple sclerosis (see Example 8).
Pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic use
In another aspect, the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition
comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide of the invention and a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
As used herein a "pharmaceutical composition" refers to a preparation of one
or more of the agents described herein, or physiologically acceptable salts or solvents
thereof, with other chemical components such as physiologically suitable carriers and
excipients. The purpose of a pharmaceutical composition is to facilitate administration
of a compound to an organism.
The preparation of pharmaceutical compositions, which contain peptides or
polypeptides as active ingredients is well known in the art. Typically, such
compositions are prepared as indictable, either as liquid solutions or suspensions,
however, solid forms, which can be suspended or solubilized prior to injection, can
also be prepared. The preparation can also be emulsified. The active therapeutic
ingredient is mixed with inorganic and/or organic carriers, which are pharmaceutically
acceptable and compatible with the active ingredient. Carriers are pharmaceutically
acceptable excipients (vehicles) comprising more or less inert substances when added
to a pharmaceutical composition to confer suitable consistency or form to the
composition. Suitable carriers are, for example, water, saline, dextrose, glycerol,
ethanol, or the like and combinations thereof. In addition, if desired, the composition
can contain minor amounts of auxiliary substances such as wetting or emulsifying
agents and pH buffering agents, which enhance the effectiveness of the active
ingredient.
Toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of the peptides described herein can be
determined by standard pharmaceutical procedures in cell cultures or experimental
animals, e. g., by determining the ICso (the concentration which provides 50%
inhibition) and the LDso (lethal dose causing death in 50 % of the tested animals) for a
studies can be used in formulating a range of dosage for use in human. The dosage
may vary depending upon the dosage form employed and the route of administration
utilized. The exact formulation, route of administration and dosage can be chosen by
the individual physician in view of the patient's condition. (See e.g., Fingl et al.,
1975).
The amount of active agent used in an administration composition of the
present invention is an amount effective to accomplish the purpose of the particular
active agent for the target indication. The amount of active agent in the compositions
typically is a pharmacologically, biologically, therapeutically, or chemically effective
amount. However, the amount can be less than that amount when the composition is
used in a dosage unit form because the dosage unit form may contain a plurality of
compounds or active agents in a single composition or may contain a divided
pharmacologically, biologically, therapeutically, or chemically effective amount. The
total effective amount can then be administered in cumulative units containing, in
total, an effective amount, of the active agent.
A therapeutically effective amount of a peptide of the invention is an amount
that when administered to a patient is capable of exerting an anti-apoptotic activity
and/or an anti-inflammatory activity. Assays for detecting the anti-apoptotic activity
of the peptide of the invention include, but are not limited to, staining DNA with
specific fiuorochromes such as propidium iodide and ethidium bromide, Annexin V
assays, TUNEL assays and the like; certain non-limitative examples of such assays
are presented in the Examples below. Assays for detecting anti-inflammatory activity
of the peptides are also well known in the art; non-limitative examples of such
methods are presented in the Examples below.
Although an appropriate dosage of a peptide of the invention varies depending
on the administration route, age, body weight sex or conditions of the patient, and
should be determined by the physician in the end, the dose suitable for adult humans
can generally be between about 0.2-2000 mg/kg body weight, preferably between
about 2-200 mg/kg.
The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention comprises one or
more compounds of the present invention, and one or more excipients or diluents. In
one embodiment, one or more of the compounds, or solvntes or salts of
compounds.
The term "pharmaceutically acceptable salt" as used herein, refers to salts
which are substantially non-toxic to living organisms. Typical pharmaceutically
acceptable salts include those salts prepared by reaction of the compounds of the
present invention with a pharmaceutically acceptable mineral or organic acid. Such
salts are also known as acid addition salts.
The compositions comprising the compounds and active agents have utility in
the delivery of active agents to selected biological systems and in an increased or
improved bioavailability of the active agent compared to administration of the active
agent without the delivery agent. Delivery can be improved by delivering more active
agent over a period of time, or in delivering active agent in a particular time period
(such as to effect quicker or delayed delivery) or over a period of time (such as
sustained delivery).
Pharmaceutical compositions for use in accordance with the present invention
thus may be formulated in conventional manner using one or more physiologically
acceptable carriers comprising excipients and auxiliaries, which facilitate processing
of the active compounds into preparations which can be used pharmaceutically.
Proper formulation is dependent upon the route of administration chosen.
The pharmaceutical compositions can be administered locally or systemically
by any conventional and appropriate route including, but not limited to, oral,
intraperitoneal, parenteral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, transdermal,
intrathecal, topical, rectal, buccal, inhalational or intranasal.
For injection, the compounds of the invention may be formulated in aqueous
solutions, preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as Hank's solution,
Ringer's solution, or physiological saline buffer. For transmucosal administration,
penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation. Such
penetrants for example DMSO, or polyethylene glycol are generally known in the art.
Pharmaceutical compositions, which can be used orally, include push-fit
capsules made of gelatin as well as soft, sealed capsules made of gelatin and a
plasticizer, such as glycerol or sorbitol. The push-fit capsules may contain the active
ingreaned ntc in adreswggy withcr rach as lactose binders each as started,
lubricants such as talc or magnesium stearate and, optionally, stabilizers.
In soft capsules, the active compounds may be dissolved or suspended in
suitable liquids, such as fatty oils, liquid paraffin, or liquid polyethylene glycols. In
addition, stabilizers may be added. All formulations for oral administration should be
in dosages suitable for the chosen route of administration.
Alternatively, the compounds of the present invention can be incorporated into
oral liquid preparations such as aqueous or oily suspensions, solutions, emulsions,
syrups, or elixirs, for example. Moreover, formulations containing these compounds
can be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle
before use. Such liquid preparations can contain conventional additives, like
suspending agents, such as sorbitol syrup, methyl cellulose, glucose/sugar syrup,
gelatin, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, aluminum stearate gel, and
hydrogenated edible fats; emulsifying agents, such as lecithin, sorbitan monooleate, or
acacia; nonaqueous vehicles (which can include edible oils), such as almond oil,
fractionated coconut oil, oily esters, propylene glycol, and ethyl alcohol; and
preservatives, such as methyl or propyl p-hydroxybenzoate and sorbic acid.
For administration by inhalation, the peptides for use according to the present
invention are conveniently delivered in the form of an aerosol spray presentation from
a pressurized pack or a nebulizer with the use of a suitable propellant, e. g.,
dichlorodifluoromethane, trichlorofluoromethane, dichloro-tetrafluoroethane or
carbon dioxide. In the case of a pressurized aerosol, the dosage unit may be
determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount. Capsules and cartridges
of, e.g., gelatin for use in an inhaler or insufflator may be formulated containing a
powder mix of the peptide and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch.
The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention are also useful for topical
and intralesional application. As used herein, the term "topical" means "pertaining to
a particular surface area", e.g. skin and mucosa, and the topical agent applied to a
certain area of said surface will affect only the area to which it is applied. The
formulations of the peptides/peptide analogs may be administered topically as a gel,
ointment, cream, emulsion, sustained release formulation including a transdermal
patch, and may comprise liposomes and any other pharmaceutically acceptable carrier
suitable for administration of the drug topically. The pharmaceutical compositions
herein described may also comprise suitable solid of gel phase carriers or excipients.
Examples of such carriers or excipients include, but are not limited to, calcium
carbonate, calcium phosphate, various sugars, starches, cellulose derivatives, gelatin
and polymers such as polyethylene glycols.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for modulating cellular and
immune stress-associated responses in a cell of an organism comprising exposing the
cell to an effective amount of a peptide of the invention.
In other aspects, the present invention relates to methods of treating or
preventing the symptoms of inflammatory conditions and/or degenerative diseases
and disorders, comprising administering to a patient suffering from the disease a
therapeutically effective amount of a peptide of the invention. Yet another aspect of
the present invention is to provide a method of reducing or eliminating death of
normal cells attributable to trauma or a disease comprising administering a
therapeutically effective amount of a peptide according to the invention to an
organism to inhibit stress-related protein activity.
I.o certain embodiments, the peptide is in the form of a pharmaceutical
composition comprising an effective amount of said peptide and a pharmaceutically
acceptable carrier or diluent.
Stress associated responses are associated with diseases and disorders
including, for example, pathological conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases
(e.g. stroke, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease), myocardial infarction, exposure to
radiation or chemotherapeutic agents, inflammation, injuries (e.g., burns and central
nervous system injuries), cell aging, hyperthermia, seizures, hypoxias (e.g., ischemia
and stroke), and in transplant tissues and organs prior to transplanting.
These conditions also include autoimmune diseases, characterized by a state of
immunization of an individual against at least one of the body's normal constituents.
These phenomena are observed in particular in pathologies including, but not limited
to infections associated with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus disease),
Gougerot-Sjogren syndrome (or Sjogren's disease) and rheumatoid polyarthritis, as
well as pathologies such as sarcoidosis and osteopenia, spondylarthritis, scleroderma,
multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hyperthyroidism, Addison's disease,
disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, idiopathic purpural hemorrhage, insulin-dependent
diabetes, myasthenia, pemphigus vulgaris, pernicious anemia, poststreptococcal
glomerulonephritis, psoriasis and spontaneous sterility, as well as immediate or
delayed phenomena observed during graft rejections and graft-versus host disease. In
one particular embodiment, the peptides of the invention are useful for the treatment
of multiple sclerosis, as exemplified in Example 8 herein.
The phenomenon of graft rejection is a state of immunization of an individual
against foreign constituents (bodily fluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, etc.,
cells, tissues, organs, antibodies, etc.) deliberately implanted into the patient.
As used herein, the terms "degenerative disorder" "degenerative disease" and
"degenerative condition" are directed to any disorder, disease or condition
characterized by inappropriate cell proliferation or inappropriate cell death or in some
cases, both, or aberrant or disregulated apoptosis. These conditions also include
conditions in which, although appropriate and regulated at the level of a single cell,
excessive apoptosis is associated with organ dysfunction or failure.
In one embodiment, the peptides are useful to prevent cell death in nonmalignant
tissue or cells in a subject having a neoplastic disorder and undergoing
chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
The terms "inflammatory disease" and "inflammatory condition", as used
herein, mean any disease or condition in which an excessive or unregulated
inflammatory response leads to excessive inflammatory symptoms, host tissue
damage, or loss of tissue function.
In one embodiment, the inflammatory disease or condition is an autoimmune
disease. In a particular embodiment, the autoimmune disease is multiple sclerosis.
In another embodiment, the inflammatory disease or condition has an etiology
associated with production of at least one pro-inflammatory cytokine selected from
IL-6 and TNF-a, as discussed herein.
The following examples are to be considered merely as illustrative and nonlimiting
in nature. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present
invention pertains that many modifications, permutations, and variations may be made
without departing from the scope of the invention.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Peptide selection from phage display libraries:
The monoclonal anti-PAb-421 antibodies Idi-1 and Idi-2 were generated and
characterized as described (Herkel et al., 2004). Briefly, BALB/c mice were
immunized three times with PAb-421 and the spleen cells of the mouse that produced
the highest anti-PAb-421 titers were fused with NSO myeloma cells. Supernatants of
the growing cells were screened by ELISA for binding to PAb-421 and to DNA. The
hybridomas Idi-1 and Idi-2 were isolated and cloned twice by limiting dilution.
Ph.D.-? or Ph.D.- 12 libraries from New England Biolabs, Frankfurt, Germany
were screened according to manufacturers instructions. Briefly, three rounds of
selection by Idi-1 or Idi-2 monoclonal antibodies were performed and consensus
peptide sequences were identified by sequencing of phage DNA. Candidate peptides
were then synthesized by Sigma-Genosis (Pampisford, UK) and further studied in
functional assays, as described hereinbelow.
Example 2: Examining the effect of candidate peptides on p53-mediated
growth arrest.
The selected candidate peptides were tested for their ability to interfere with
the p5 3 -mediated cellular stress response by testing their capacity to inhibit the
response to hyperthermia of the L12 cell line (Wolf, 1984), which lacks endogenous
p53 activity and had been stably transfected with the p53 gene or a control vector. In
these cells, p53 activity induces growth arrest and cell survival rather than apoptosis
in response to hyperthermia (Nitta, 1997).
The amount of cell death was assessed by staining the cells with the vital dye
trypan blue (Sigma) and counting the ratio of dead/live cells per visual field with a
light microscope.
Results: incubation for 2 hours at 42°C induced death of all cells that lacked
p53 and, in contrast, transient growth arrest and survival of about 80% of the cells
Specific peptide INhibitor), were identified that at concentrations of 100 fig/ml
inhibited p53-mediated growth arrest after hyperthermia and. induced death of almost
all cells with active p53, which is the response of LI2 cells that lack p53 activity
(Table 1); the peptide sequences are shown in Table 2.
Table 1: Incidence of cell death induced by hyperthermia in LI 2 cells with or
without active p53 and inhibition of the p53-dependent stress response by Stressin
peptides.
(Table Removed)
Example 3: Effect of Stressin peptides on p53-mediated cell death induced by
DNA damage.
L12 cells were treated for 48 hours with 50uM of the DNA-damaging agent
Cisplatin and p53-mediated cell death v/as determined by measuring the DNA content
of cells stained with propidium iodide (Figure 1). Cells incubated in the absence of
peptide responded to Cisplatin treatment with p53-mediated cell death.
Results: FACS analysis shows that treatment with Stressin-1 or Stressin-2
rescued 35% or 25% of the cells, respectively, from p53-mediated cell death.
Example 4: Effect of Stressin peptides on p53-mediated cell death in nontransformed
cells.
Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) were treated with cisplatin (80uM) in the
presence or absence of Stressin-1 peptide as described in Example 3, and cell death
was assessed by incorporation of the vital dye Neutral red (Sigma, Taufkirchen,
Germany), O.D. at 540nm was read in an ELISA reader.
The percent of viable cells is presented in Figure 2A; viability was calculated
by the equation:
Cell viability = sample ODs4o x 100 / OD^o of untreated cells.
Micrographs of the treated cells are presented in Figure 2B.
Figure 2 shows that Stressin-1 inhibited cell death of MEF cells induced by 80
(aM Cisplatin in a dose-dependent way with maximal efficiency at a concentration of
50 jiM.
Example 5: Effect of Stressin peptides on cell death induced by toxic stress.
To leam whether Stressin peptide may protect from toxic stress, primary
hepatocyte cultures were incubated with or without ethanol at a concentration of
0.6%, arid with 50uM Stressin-1 or without peptide. After 48 hours, the numbers of
dead and alive cells were determined by trypan blue exclusion (Table 3).
Results: All hepatocytes exposed to ethanol died in the absence of Stressin-1;
in contrast, Stressin-1 rescued 20% hepatocytes from ethanol-induced cell death.
Table 3: Survival of hepatocytes exposed to a lethal dose of ethanol is
promoted by Stressin-1 peptide.
Hepatocytes without etlianol
Hepatocytes with 0.6% ethanol
(Table Removed)
Example 6: Effect of Stressin peptides on mice subjected to y-irradiation
BALB/c mice were subjected to whole body y-irradiation (6.5 Gy). One hour
after irradiation, the mice received intraperitoneally either Stressin-1 (n = 7; SEQ ID
NO: 1) or a modified, retro-inverso Stressin-1 peptide (n = 7; SEQ ID NO:5), both at a
concentration of SOOug/mouse, or a sham injection with saline (n = 6). The retroinverso
peptide was used to determine whether prolonged in vivo-half-life would give
an advantage.
Results: After 17 days, 66% of the sham-treated group were dead; in contrast,
none of the mice treated with the Stressin-1 peptide and only 29% of the mice treated
with the modified Stressin-1 peptide were dead. After 40 days only 33% in the sham
group recovered from radiation disease; in contrast, 57% and 86% of the mice treated
with the modified or the unmodified Stressin-1 peptide recovered from radiation
disease (Figure 3).
Example 7: Effect of Stressin peptides on LPS- and CpG-induced cytokine
secretion.
To learn whether Stressin peptides may modify the inflammatory response to
stress signals, the response of RAW 264.7 macrophage line cells to pro-inflammatory
microbial signals, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and CpG oligonucleotides, was studied.
The cells were incubated with LPS or CpG oligonucleotides in the presence or
absence of Stressin-1 (50uM). After 6 hours, the amounts of secreted TNF-a (Figure
4) or Interleukin-6 (Figure 5) in culture supernatant, as a measure for macrophage
activation, were determined by specific ELISA reagents and anti-TNF-a and anti-IL-6
antibodies (R&D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany).
Results: Stressin-1 inhibited macrophage activation and secretion of TNF-a
and Interleukin-6 induced by both LPS and CpG oligonucleotides.
Example 8: Stressin-1 protects mice from experimental autoimmune disease
(EAE).
MBP Acl-9-specific T cell receptor-transgenic Tg4 mice (Liu et al., 1995)
were immunized subcutaneously with 200ug of modified (Y at position 4) Ac 1-9
peptide in complete Freund's Adjuvant followed by intraperitoneal administration of
200ng of Pertussis toxin the next day. At one hour after MBP immunization one
group of mice (n=4) received 100(^.1 of PBS intraperitoneally and another group of
mice (n=6) received 500ug Stressin-1 peptide in lOOul PBS intraperitoneally. The
mice were then tested for the development of experimental autoimmune
encephalomyelitis by assessment of the clinical EAE score. As can be seen in Figure
6, Stressin-1 protects mice from EAE.
Example 9: Sequencing of Idi-1 and Idi-2 variable regions.
Total RNA was extracted from Idi-1 and Idi-2 hybridomas using TriReagent
(Molecular Research Center, INC.), and the RNA was used as a template for cDNA
synthesis using Superscript Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany).
PCR amplification of the heavy and light chain variable regions were performed using
primers specific for the respective flanking constant region: 5'
CGGGAATTCCCCAGGTGCAGCTGCAGCAGTCTGG SEQ ID NO:25 and 3'
GCGGGCCCTCGAGTCTATGTACATATGCAAGGCTTACAACC SEQ ID NO:26
for the heavy chain; 5' CGCGCAAGCTTGATATTGTGATAACCCAGGATGA
SEQ ID NO:27 and 3' GATGGTGGGAAGATG SEQ ID NO:28 for the light chain.
PCR products were purified and sequenced using the same primers.
The variable regions of Idi-1 (Idi-1 VL - SEQ ID NO:9; Idi-1 VH - SEQ ID
NO: 10), Idi-2 (Idi-2 VL - SEQ ID NO: 11; Idi-2 VH - SEQ ID NO: 12) and PAb-421
are presented in Figure 7. The CDR sequences of Idi-1 and Idi-2 are indicated in
Figure 7and listed, along with their corresponding SEQ ID NOS, in Table 4 below:
(Table Removed)
While the present invention has been particularly described, persons skilled in
the art will appreciate that many variations and modifications can be made. Therefore,
the invention is not to be construed as restricted to the particularly described
embodiments, rather the scope, spirit and concept of the invention will be more
readily understood by reference to the claims which follow.
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1. A peptide comprising an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed
against an anti-p53 antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at
least a part of the regulatory domain of the C-terminus of p53, and wherein the peptide
exhibits at least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory
activity.
2. The peptide of claim 1 wherein said peptide comprises from about 5 to 25 amino acids.
3. The peptide of claim 1 wherein said peptide comprises from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
4. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
5. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the anti-icliotypic antibody is selected from the group
consisting of Idi-1 and Idi-2.
6. The peptide of claim 1 wherein the peptide exhibits the activity of binding a protein
involved in apoptosis.
7. The peptide of claim 6. the peptide exhibits the activity of preventing said protein from
binding to damaged-DNA.
8. The peptide of claim 1 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity by at least 25%,
preferably at least 50%, more preferably at least 75% and most preferably at least 95%.
9. The peptide of claim 1 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity of mammalian
cells.
10. The peptide of claim 9 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity of human cells.
11. The peptide of claim 1 wherein the peptide is capable of down regulating immunemediated
stress responses.
12. The peptide of claim 1 wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in any
one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 -4, an analog, a derivative, and an active fragment thereof.
13. The peptide of claim 12, wherein the derivative has an amino acid sequence as set forth
in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 5-8.
14. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 , 2 and 5.
15. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VLCDR3
and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15
and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
16. The peptide of claim 1, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising Vj.
regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10,
SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, and analogs thereof
17. A pharmaceutical composition comprising as an active ingredient a peptide comprising
an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53
antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the
regulatory domain of the C- terminus of p53, and wherein the peptide exhibits at least one
activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity, and a
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent,
18. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the peptide comprises from about
5 to 25 amino acids.
19. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the peptide comprises from about
7 to 12 amino acids.
20. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17. wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
21. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is
selected from the group consisting of Idi-1 and Idi-2.
22. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the peptide has an amino acid
sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-4, an analog, a derivative, and an
active fragment thereof.
23. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 22, wherein the derivative has an amino acid
sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8.
24. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the peptide has an amino acid
sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 2 and 5.
25. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a
molecule comprising VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group
consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
26. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a
molecule comprising VL regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of
SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10, SEQ ID NOS:11 and 12, and analogs thereof.
27. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 17. wherein the active ingredient is a peptide
according to any one of claims 1-1.6 and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
28. A method for modulating cellular and immune stress-associated responses in a cell of an
organism comprising exposing the cell to an effective amount of a peptide comprising an
epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53
antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the
regulatory domain of the C-tenninus of p53, and wherein the peptide exhibits at least one
activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide comprises from about 5 to 25 amino acids.
30. The method of claim 28, wherein tie peptide comprises from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
31. The method of claim 28, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
32. The method of claim 28, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is selected from the group
consisting of ldi-1 and Idi-2.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-4, an analog, a derivative, and an active fragment thereof.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the derivative has an amino acid sequence as set forth
in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8.
35. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 , 2 and 5.
36. The method according to claim 28, wherein the stress-associated response is associated
with a disorder selected from the group consisting of: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's
disease, secondary degeneration after trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma,
macular degeneration, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis,
autoimmune uveitis, graft versus host disease, graft rejection, arthritis, systemic
inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adult
respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), psoriasis, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction,
radiation disease, hyperthermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney failure and
infertility.
37. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell in-vivo.
38. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell ex-vivo.
39. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide is administered to a subject in need thereof
by a route selected from oral, topical, transdermal and parenteral.
40. The method of claim 28, wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity in response to
cellular and immune stress disorders in normal tissue or cells.
41. The method of claim 28, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising
VL-CDR3 and Vn-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS:
15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
42. The method of claim 28, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising V|.
regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS :9 and 10,
SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, and analogs thereof.
43. A method for treating a degenerative disease or condition in a subject in need thereof,
comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a peptide
comprising an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an
anti-p53 antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of
the regulatory domain of the C-terminus of p53, and wherein the peptide exhibits at least
one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide comprises from about 5 to 25 amino acids.
45. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide comprises from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
46. The method of claim 43, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
47. The method of claim 43, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is selected from the group
consisting of Idi-1 and Idi-2.
48. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-4, an analog, a derivative, and an active fragment thereof.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein the derivative has an amino acid sequence as set forth
in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5-8.
50. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 , 2 and 5.
51. The method of claim 43, wherein the disease or condition is a stress- associated
degenerative disorder.
52. The method of claim 43, wherein said subject has a neoplastic disorder and is undergoing
chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
53. The method according to claim 43, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the
group consisting of: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, secondary degeneration
after trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma, macular degeneration, myocardial
infarction, radiation disease, hypeithermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney failure
and infertility.
54. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell in-vivo.
55. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell ex-vivo.
56. The method of claim 43, wherein the peptide is administered to a subject in need thereof
by a route selected from oral, topical, transdermal and parenteral.
57. . The method of claim 43, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising
VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS:
15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
58. The method of claim 43, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VL
regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10,
SEQ ID NOS:11 and 12, and analogs thereof.
59. A method for treating an inflammatory disease or condition in a subject in need thereof,
comprising administering to the subject a therapeutical ly effective amount of a peptide
comprising an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an
anti-p53 antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of
the regulatory domain of the C-teraiinus ofp53. and wherein the peptide exhibits at least
one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
60. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide comprises from about 5 to 25 amino acids.
61. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide comprises from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
62. The method of claim 59, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
63. The method of claim 59, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is selected from the group
consisting of Idi-1 and Idi-2.
64. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-4, an analog, a derivative, and an active fragment thereof.
65. The method of claim 64, wherein the derivative has an amino acid sequence as set forth
in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 5-8.
66. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in
any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1 , 2 and 5.
67. The method of claim 59, wherein the disease or condition has an etiology associated with
production of at least one pro-inflammatory cytokine selected from IL-6 and TNF-cc.
68. The method of claim 59, wherein the disease is an autoimmune disease.
69. The method according to claim 59, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the
group consisting of: type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis,
autoimmune uveitis, arthritis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
psoriasis, atherosclerosis, graft rejection and graft versus host disease.
70. The method of claim 59, wherein the disease is multiple sclerosis.
71. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell in-vivo.
72. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide modulates intracellular protein activity
within a cell ex-vivo.
73. The method of claim 59, wherein the peptide is administered to a subject in need thereof
by a route selected from oral, topical, transdermal and parenteral.
74. The method of claim 59, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising
VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS:
15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
75. The method of claim 59, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VL
regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:9 and 10,
SEQ ID NOS:11 and 12, and analogs thereof.
76. Use of an antibody molecule comprising V|.,-CDR3 and Vn-CDR3 sequences selected
from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24 for
the isolation of a peptide exhibiting at least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic
activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
77. Use of an antibody molecule comprising VL regions and VH regions selected from the
group consisting of SEQ ID NOS :9 and 10, SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, and analogs
thereof, for the isolation of a peptide exhibiting at least one activity selected from antiapoptotic
activity and anti-inflammatory activity.








We Claim:
1. A peptide comprising an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53 antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the regulatory domain of the C-terminus of p53, and wherein the peptide exhibits at least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity and wherein the peptide is 7-25 amino acids and comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-4 or an analog or derivative or an active fragment thereof.
2. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said peptide is as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1.
3. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein said peptide comprises from about 7 to 12 amino acids.
4. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is PAb-421.
5. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is selected from the group consisting of Idi-1 and Idi-2.
6. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peptide exhibits the activity of binding a protein involved in apoptosis.
7. The peptide as claimed in claim 6, the peptide exhibits the activity of preventing said protein from binding to damaged-DNA.
8. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity by at least 25%, preferably at least 50%, more preferably at least 75% and most preferably at least 95%.
9. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity of mammalian cells.
10. The peptide as claimed in claim 9 wherein the peptide inhibits apoptotic activity of human cells.
11. The peptide as claimed in claim 1 wherein the peptide is capable of down regulating immune-mediated stress responses.
12. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the derivative has an amino acid sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 5-8.
13. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 2 and 5.
14. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VL-CDR3 and VH-CDR3 sequences selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NOS: 15 and 18, and SEQ ID NOS :21 and 24.
15. The peptide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti-idiotypic antibody is a molecule comprising VL regions and VH regions selected from the group consisting of
SEQ ID N0S:9 and 10, SEQ ID NOS: 11 and 12, and analogs thereof.
16. The peptide as claimed in claims 1-15 for modulating cellular and immune stress-associated responses in a cell of an organism comprising exposing the cell to an effective amount of a peptide comprising an epitope immunoreactive with an anti-idiotypic antibody directed against an anti-p53 antibody, wherein the anti-p53 antibody is immunoreactive with at least a part of the regulatory domain of the C-terminus of p53, and wherein the peptide exhibits at least one activity selected from anti-apoptotic activity and anti-inflammatory activity.
17. The peptide as claimed in claim 16, wherein the stress-associated response is associated with a disorder selected from the group consisting of:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), central nervous system injury, seizures, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, secondary degeneration after trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma, macular degeneration, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis, autoimmune uveitis, graft versus host disease, graft rejection, arthritis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), psoriasis, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, radiation disease, hyperthermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney failure and infertility.
18. The peptide as claimed in claims 1-15 for treating a degenerative disease or condition in a subject in need thereof.
19. The peptide as claimed in claim 19, wherein the disease or condition is a stress- associated degenerative disorder.
20. The peptide as claimed in claim 19, wherein said subject has a neoplastic disorder and is
undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer.
21. The peptide as claimed in claim 19, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the
group consisting of: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, secondary degeneration after
trauma, stroke, CNS intoxication, glaucoma, macular degeneration, myocardial infarction,
radiation disease, hyperthermia, hypoxia, fulminant toxic liver, kidney failure and infertility.
22. The peptide as claimed in claims 1-15 for treating an inflammatory disease or condition in a subject in need thereof.
23. The peptide as claimed in claim 22, wherein the disease or condition has an etiology associated with production of at least one pro-inflammatory cytokine selected from IL-6 and TNF-α.
24. The peptide as claimed in claim 22, wherein the disease is an autoimmune disease.
25. The peptide as claimed in claim 22, wherein the disease or condition is selected from the
group consisting of: type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosis,
autoimmune uveitis, arthritis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), psoriasis,
atherosclerosis, graft rejection and graft versus host disease.
26. The peptide as claimed in claim 22, wherein the disease is multiple sclerosis.
27. The peptide as claimed in claim 17,18 or 22, wherein said peptide is as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 and said disease or disorder is ALS.

Documents:

1729-delnp-2007-1729-delnp-2007-Correspondence Others-(03-01-2013).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-1729-delnp-2007-Form-3-(03-01-2013).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Abstract-(14-02-2013).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-abstract.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Claims-(10-03-2014).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Claims-(14-02-2013).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Claims-(24-03-2014).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-claims.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Correspondence Others-(24-03-2014).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Correspondence-Others-(10-03-2014).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Correspondence-Others-(14-02-2013).pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Correspondence-Others-(27-08-2013).pdf

1729-DELNP-2007-Correspondence-Others.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-description (complete).pdf

1729-DELNP-2007-Form-1.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-form-2.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-form-3.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-form-5.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-pct-210.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-pct-220.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-pct-237.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-pct-304.pdf

1729-delnp-2007-Petition-137-(14-02-2013).pdf


Patent Number 260587
Indian Patent Application Number 1729/DELNP/2007
PG Journal Number 20/2014
Publication Date 16-May-2014
Grant Date 09-May-2014
Date of Filing 05-Mar-2007
Name of Patentee YEDA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CO.LTD.
Applicant Address P.O.BOX 95, 76100 REHOVOT ISRAEL
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 EREZ NETA 18 LEA STREET, 69412 TEL-AVIV ISRAEL
2 MIMRAN AVISHAI 51 MEGINEI HAGALIL STREET, 76200 REHOVOT ISRAEL
3 KAM NA'AMAN 12 RAMA STREET, 53320 GIVATAIM ISRAEL
4 HERKEL JOHANNES GOTTFRIED KINKEL-STR. 3, 65187 WIESBADEN GERMANY
5 COHEN IRUN R 11 HANKIN STREET, 76354 REHOVOT ISRAEL
6 ROTTER VARDA 2 MIVTSAH KADESH STREET, 75221 RISHON LE ZION ISRAEL
7 LOHSE ANSGAR W GEORG BUCHNER-STR. 8, 55129 MAINZ GERMANY
PCT International Classification Number A61K 38/10
PCT International Application Number PCT/IL2005/000908
PCT International Filing date 2005-08-23
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 60/603,255 2004-08-23 U.S.A.