WO2001076532A2 - Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death - Google Patents
Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2001076532A2 WO2001076532A2 PCT/US2001/011655 US0111655W WO0176532A2 WO 2001076532 A2 WO2001076532 A2 WO 2001076532A2 US 0111655 W US0111655 W US 0111655W WO 0176532 A2 WO0176532 A2 WO 0176532A2
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- acid sequence
- figures
- sequence shown
- protective
- amino acid
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- C07K—PEPTIDES
- C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
- C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
- C07K14/46—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates
- C07K14/47—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals
- C07K14/4701—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans from vertebrates from mammals not used
- C07K14/4747—Apoptosis related proteins
Definitions
- the present invention relates to compositions and methods for the treatment and diagnosis of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death, including, but not limited to, neurological disorders such as stroke.
- Nucleic acids are described herein which, when introduced into a cell either predisposed to undergo cell death or in the process of undergoing cell death, prevent, delay, or rescue the cell from death relative to a corresponding cell into which no exogenous nucleic acids have been introduced. Such nucleic acids are referred to as "protective sequences".
- Protective sequences or their products are identified by their ability to prevent, delay, or rescue a cell, cells, tissues, organs, or organisms from dying. Protective sequences or their products are also identified via their ability to interact with other genes or gene products involved in conditions or disorders involving cell death.
- the invention further includes recombinant DNA molecules and cloning vectors comprising protective sequences, and host cells and host organisms engineered to contain such DNA molecules and cloning vectors.
- the present invention further relates to protective sequence products and to antibodies directed against such protective sequence products.
- the protective sequences identified, their products, or antibodies may be used diagnostically, prophylactically, therapeutically or as targets for therapeutic intervention.
- the present invention provides methods for the identification and prophylactic or therapeutic use of compounds in the treatment and diagnosis of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death. Additionally, methods are provided for the diagnostic monitoring of patients undergoing clinical evaluation for the treatment of conditions or disorders involving cell death, for monitoring the efficacy of compounds in clinical trials and for identifying subjects who may be predisposed to such conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death. 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
- necrosis plays an important physiologic role in signaling the presence of certain conditions.
- the dying cells release substances that activate the body's immune response in a local, and in some cases widespread, reaction to the necrosis-inducing condition. This response is important in, for example, bacterial infection.
- preventing, delaying, or rescuing cells from death would either alleviate the disease or allow more time for definitive treatment to be administered to the patient.
- An example of this situation is brain cell death caused by ischemic stroke: preventing, delaying, or rescuing cells from death until the blood supply to the brain could be restored would greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the possibility of a person's death and/or long-term disability from stroke (Lee JM, et al. Nature 1999, 399(supp): A7-A14; Tarkowski E, et al. Stroke 1999, 30(2): 321-7; Pulera
- One method for regulating cell death involves manipulating the threshold at which the process of cell death begins. This threshold varies significantly by cell type, tissue type, the type of injury or insult suffered by the cell, cellular maturity, and the physiologic conditions in the cell's environment (Steller H., Science 1995, 267(5203): 1445-9). Although it is probable that certain cellular injuries or insults irrevocably induce death, lesser injuries or insults may begin the dying process without inducing irreversible cell death. What constitutes a lesser injury or insult may vary tremendously with changes in the factors influencing that cell's death threshold. The ability to alter a cell's threshold for responding to an injury or insult, that is, to either promote or discourage cell death, would be a desirable goal for the treatment of conditions involving cell death. The ability to better control cell death, by either discouraging or promoting the mechanisms of cell death, would be an important invention for ameliorating disease (US Patents 5,925,640; 5,786,173; 5,858,715; 5,856,171).
- neuronal cell death is best represented by a continuum between apoptosis and necrosis, possibly mediated by calcium levels (Lee J-M, et al.1999, 399(supp): A7-A14), or a combination of direct ischemic damage followed by indirect damage from excitotoxicity and loss of interneuronal connections (Martin LJ, et al. Brian Res Bull 1998, 46(4): 281-309). Further complicating the picture of neuronal cell death is the observation that the death of one or more neurons in one region of the brain can induce the death of neurons in other brain regions. This phenomenon has been observed with stroke as described above (Martin LJ, et al.
- bcl-2 is believed to regulate apoptotic death in neurons, kidney, heart, liver, blood and skin cells under experimental conditions. In addition to regulating death by apoptosis, bcl-2 is believed to regulate death caused by non-apoptotic mechanisms. Factors related to bcl-2 have been shown to be over-expressed in cancer and autoimmune conditions, disorders, or diseases (US Patent 5,856,171 and references cited therein). Other related factors acting on the same pathway as bcl-2 also delay or prevent cell death.
- NGF nerve growth factor
- bcl-2 individually offered protection against neuronal death (Guegan C, et al. Neurobiol Dis 1999, 6(3): 180-9; Linnik MD, et al. Stroke 1995, 26(9): 1670-4). Factors acting to prevent cell death do not act solely in the brain.
- bcl-2 prevented cell death in a brain ischemia model (Guegan C, et al. Neurobiol Dis 1999, 6(3): 180-9; Linnik MD, et al. Stroke 1995, 26(9): 1670-4). It was shown that the activity of bcl-2 to prevent neuronal death was consistently demonstrated across several different physiologic insults. It also has been demonstrated that the distinction between apoptotic death and necrotic death is open to question, so the possibility exists that bcl-2 can prevent or delay the necrotic cell death pathway, the apoptotic cell death pathway or perhaps an as yet undemonstrated cell death pathway. Preventing cell death is an important medical goal.
- Several types of mammalian cells most notably neurons and cardiac muscle cells, have limited if any capacity to regenerate. Preventing the death of these cells from conditions such as heart attack, stroke, shock, infection, cancer, Alzheimer's disease or traumatic injury, to name a few, would be an important medical advance as the heart and brain cannot grow sufficient cells to replace those cells lost to disease or infection. In addition to preventing cell death, delaying and/or rescuing cells from programmed cell death is also an important medical goal. In many pathological conditions where there is an expectation that the disease will be successfully treated, such as many types of infection, hypoxia, ischemia or metabolic disturbances, delaying cell death would allow the pathological condition to be treated without permanent damage to the cells. In other words, the cells may be put into a suspended state from which they could successfully be rescued and emerge with their normal function intact.
- the present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of protective sequences and to compositions and methods for the treatment and diagnosis of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- Protective sequences refer to nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleic acid sequences which, when introduced into a cell either predisposed to undergo cell death or in the process of undergoing cell death, prevent, delay, or rescue the cell from death relative to a corresponding cell into which no exogenous nucleic acids have been introduced.
- protective sequences may act to prevent, delay, ameliorate, inhibit, reduce, or rescue neuronal cell death (e.g. apoptosis, necrosis and related cellular events).
- the invention further relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of gene products encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, or by degenerate, e.g., allelic or homologous, variants thereof.
- Protective sequences also can be regulatory nucleic acids.
- Protective sequences further can be both coding sequences and regulatory sequences.
- Target sequences include, but are not limited to, upstream and downstream regulatory sequences, upstream and downstream complete or partial gene or gene product sequences, antibodies, antisense molecules or sequences, ribozyme molecules, and other inhibitors or modulators directed against such protective sequences and protective sequence products.
- Protective sequences and protective sequence products can be utilized prophylactically and/or therapeutically to prevent, delay ameliorate, inhibit, reduce, or rescue conditions of cell death or symptoms of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- the modulation of the expression of protective sequences, e.g., endogenous protective sequences, and/or the activity of the protective sequence products, e.g., endogenous protective sequence products, can also be utilized prophylactically or therapeutically to prevent, delay, ameliorate, inhibit, reduce, or rescue conditions of cell death or symptoms of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death. Further, protective sequences and protective sequence products can be used to diagnose individuals exhibiting or predisposed to such conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- compositions of the present invention include, in particular, nucleic acid molecules which comprise the following sequences: (a) nucleic acids of protective sequences, as well as allelic variants, homologs, mutants and fragments thereof; (b) nucleic acids which - encode protective sequence products; (c) nucleic acids which encode protective sequence regulatory elements; (d) nucleic acids which encode fusion proteins comprising protective sequence products or one or more protective sequence product domains fused to a heterologous polypeptide; (e) nucleic acids which encode fusion proteins comprising protective sequence regulatory elements fused to a heterologous polypeptide; (f) nucleic acids which hybridize to the above described sequences under highly stringent or moderately stringent conditions, including, but not limited to, human homologs; and (g) complementary (e.g., antisense) nucleic acids of the sequences described in (a) through (f), above.
- nucleic acid molecules which comprise the following sequences: (a) nucleic acids of protective sequences, as well as alle
- the nucleic acid molecules of the invention include, but are not limited to, cDNA, genomic DNA (including non-expressed features such as introns) and RNA sequences.
- the present invention also encompasses expression gene products of the protective sequences listed above; i.e., proteins and/or polypeptides that are encoded by the above protective sequences.
- the present invention also encompasses expression gene products generated by differentially or alternately splicing the protective sequences listed above.
- ribozyme molecules and gene or regulatory sequence replacement constructs, which can be used to modulate, inhibit or enhance expression of a protective sequence.
- the present invention further encompasses cloning and expression vectors, which may include, but are not limited to, bacterial, fungal, insect, plant, and mammalian vectors, which contain the protective nucleic acid sequences of the invention, which can be used as probes or to express those protective nucleic acid sequences, protective sequence products, genes and/or gene products in host cells or organisms.
- the present invention also relates to cells that have been transformed, transfected, or infected with such vectors, and to cells engineered to contain or express the protective nucleic acid sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, and/or regulatory elements of the invention.
- F ⁇ rther non-human host organisms which have been transformed, transfected, or infected with these protective nucleic acid sequences, or their regulatory elements, are also encompassed in the present invention.
- Host organisms of the invention include organisms transformed, transfected, or infected with the cloning vectors described above, including, but not limited to, non-human transgenic animals, and particularly transgenic non-human mammals which have been engineered to express a protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element of the invention, or "knock-outs" which have been engineered to not express the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element of the invention.
- the transgenic animals of the invention further include those which express the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element in all their cells, "mosaic” animals which express the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element in only some of their cells, and those in which the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element is selectively introduced into and expressed in a specific cell type(s).
- the transgenic animals of the invention also include "knock-out" animals. Knock-out animals comprise animals that have been engineered to no longer express the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element.
- the present invention also relates to methods and compositions for the diagnosis of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death, as well as for the identification of subjects susceptible to such conditions, disorders, or diseases.
- Such methods comprise, for example, measuring expression of the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element in a patient sample, or detecting a mutation in the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element in the genome of a mammal, including a human, suspected of exhibiting such a condition, disorder, or disease.
- the protective nucleic acid molecules of the invention can be used also as diagnostic hybridization probes, or as primers for diagnostic PCR analysis to identify protective sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, or regulatory element mutations, allelic variations or regulatory defects, such as defects in the expression of the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element.
- diagnostic PCR analyses can be used to diagnose individuals with a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death associated with a particular protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, or regulatory element mutation, allelic variation or regulatory defect.
- Such diagnostic PCR analyses can be used also to identify individuals susceptible to such conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- compositions for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death also are included in the invention.
- Such methods and compositions can increase, decrease or otherwise modulate the level of protective sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, or their regulatory elements in a patient in need of such treatment.
- Such methods and compositions can also modulate the level of protective sequence expression (e.g., endogenous protective sequence expression) and/or the level of activity of a protective sequence product, (e.g., endogenous protective sequence product).
- such methods include, for example, modulating the expression of the protective sequence and/or the activity of the protective sequence product for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death which are normally mediated by some other gene.
- such methods and compositions are utilized for the treatment of the types of conditions, disorders, or diseases, which can be prevented, delayed or rescued from cell death and include, but are not limited to, those associated with the central nervous system including neurological and psychiatric conditions, disorders, or diseases; those of the peripheral nervous system; conditions, disorders, or diseases caused by physical injury; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the blood vessels or heart; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the respiratory system; neoplastic conditions, disorders, or diseases; conditions, disorders, or diseases of blood cells; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the liver; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the pancreas; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the kidney; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the ureters, urethra or bladder; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the male genital system; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the female genital tract; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the breast; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the endocrine system; conditions, disorders, or diseases
- the methods and compositions of the invention are utilized for the prevention, or delay, of cell death in the event of one or more infections which may be caused by bacteria; viruses; members of the family rickettsiae or chlamydia; fungi, yeast, hyphae or pseudohyphae; prions; protozoans; or metazoans.
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to treat infections or conditions, disorders, or diseases which cause cell death in organ systems including, but not limited to, blood vessels, heart, red blood cells, white blood cells, lymph nodes, spleen, respiratory system, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary tract, pancreas, kidney, lower urinary tract, upper urinary tract and bladder, male sexual organs and genitalia, female sexual organs and genitalia, breast, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, parathyroid gland, skin, musculoskeletal system, bone marrow or bones.
- organ systems including, but not limited to, blood vessels, heart, red blood cells, white blood cells, lymph nodes, spleen, respiratory system, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary tract, pancreas, kidney, lower urinary tract, upper urinary tract and bladder, male sexual organs and genitalia, female sexual organs and genitalia, breast, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, parathyroid gland, skin, musculoskeletal system,
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to treat further physiological impacts on organs caused by the infections which induce cell death including, but not limited to, fever equal to or greater than 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, a decrease or increase in pulse rate by more than 20 beats per minute, a decrease or increase in supine systolic blood pressure by more than 30 millimeters of mercury, an increase or decrease in respiratory rate by more than 8 breaths per minute, an increase or decrease in blood pH by more than 0.10 pH units, an increase or decrease in one or more serum electrolytes outside of the clinical laboratory's usual reference range, an increase or decrease in the partial pressure of arterial oxygen or carbon dioxide outside of the clinical laboratory's usual reference range, an increase or decrease in white or red blood cells outside of the laboratory's usual reference range, an acute confusional state such as delirium where delirium is defined by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IN Manual or a diminished level of consciousness or attention.
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to promote cell death. These compounds could be useful for treating and/or ameliorating conditions caused by, for example, cancer and autoimmune diseases, both of which are manifested by an uncontrolled growth of cells.
- the invention still further relates to methods for identifying compounds which modulate the expression of a protective sequence and/or the synthesis or activity of a protective sequence product.
- Such compounds include therapeutic compounds which can be used as pharmaceutical compositions to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- Cellular and non-cellular assays are described which can be used to identify compounds which interact with a protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, and/or regulatory element, e.g., modulate the activity of a protective sequence and/or bind to a protective sequence product.
- Such cell- based assays of the invention utilize cells, cell lines, or engineered cells or cell lines that express the protective sequence, protective sequence product, gene, gene product, and/or regulatory element.
- such methods comprise administering a compound to a host, e.g., a transgenic animal which expresses a protective sequence transgene or a mutant protective sequence transgene, and measuring the level of protective sequence expression, gene product expression or gene product activity.
- the measured level is compared to the level of protective sequence expression, gene product expression or gene product activity in a host which is not exposed to the compound, such that if the level obtained when the host is exposed to the compound differs from that obtained when the host is not exposed to the compound, a compound which modulates the expression of the protective sequence and/or the synthesis or activity of protective sequence products, and/or the symptoms of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death, has been identified.
- Protective sequence refers to nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleic acid sequences which, when introduced into a cell predisposed to either undergo cell death or in the process of undergoing cell death, prevent, delay, or rescue the cell from death relative to a corresponding cell into which no exogenous protective nucleic acids have been introduced.
- a protective sequence encodes a protective sequence product.
- protective sequences are any transcriptional products of the sequences disclosed herein.
- protective sequences comprise regulatory elements of the sequences disclosed herein which modulate the expression of a nucleic acid within a cell.
- protective sequences, their products, or their regulatory elements may act to prevent, delay, or rescue a cell, cells, tissues, organs, or organisms from dying.
- Compounds which modulate protective sequence expression or activity of the protective sequence product can be used in the treatment of conditions, disorders or diseases associated with cell death processes. It is to be understood that the protective sequences described above can act to ameliorate or delay symptoms related to cell death.
- the protective sequences may be involved directly in such cell death related conditions or disorders, in certain cases, the protective sequences will not normally be involved in such conditions or disorders, but will be effective for the treatment and/or prevention of such disorders. In these cases, modulation of the expression of the protective sequence and/or the activity of the protective sequence product will be useful for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death which are normally mediated by some other gene.
- Cell death refers to any mechanism and/or pathway whereby a cell undergoes a series of events which ultimately would lead to the death of the cell.
- cell death may be caused by various processes including, but not limited to, apoptosis or programmed cell death, necrosis, or an as yet unidentified cell death pathway.
- Cell death may be induced in individual cells as a consequence of numerous internal and external stimuli including, but not limited to, genetic predisposition, toxic chemicals or processes, heat, cold, rapid environmental changes, radiation, viruses, prions, bacteria, disruption of nutrient balance, or exposure to bi-products and signaling from other cells undergoing cell death.
- the protective sequences disclosed herein, when introduced into a cell e.g.
- a neuronal cell which has undergone an event that would ultimately lead to cell death (e.g. ischemia), are capable of rescuing the cell from cell death.
- a protective sequence in combination with a reporter gene (e.g. green fluorescent protein), is introduced into a cell which has undergone an event that would ultimately lead to cell death, expression of the reporter gene is an indication that the protective sequence is capable of rescuing the cell from cell death.
- a reporter gene e.g. green fluorescent protein
- Protective nucleic acids See Table 1 for the identity, the sequence identifier number, the length in base pairs and the Accession Number for each of the sequences shown in these figures.
- FIG. 1 Restriction map and diagram of plasmid pCMN-SPORT2. This plasmid was used as the cloning vector for the protective sequences. Each clone was ligated into the Sa ⁇ -Not restriction sites of the plasmid.
- Figures 3A and 3B represent non-stroked, positive control samples.
- Figure 3C represents a positive control, stroked sample using Bcl-2.
- Figure 3D represents a stroked, negative control sample.
- Figure 3E represents a stroked sample protected by a representative protective sequence.
- Figure 3F presents the average number of neurons that survived for three days in both a stroked sample protected by a protective sequence and a corresponding stroked, negative control sample.
- FIG. 1 Open Reading Frames for C ⁇ I-00729.
- This Figure depicts the 22 potential ORFs for C ⁇ I-00729. Also shown are the nucleotide sequences which encode the ORFs.
- compositions of the invention further include protective sequence products (e.g. proteins or RNA) which are encoded or produced by the nucleic acid molecules of the invention, and the modulation of protective sequence expression and/or gene product activity in the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- protective sequence products e.g. proteins or RNA
- these protective sequences have been shown to prevent, delay, or rescue cell death in a cell predisposed for undergoing cell death, whether the pathway that leads to the cell death involves apoptosis, necrosis or an as yet undefined pathway.
- the protective sequences, their SEQ ID NOS and additional information related to the protective sequences are listed below, in Table 1.
- the protective sequences listed in Table 1 may be obtained using cloning methods well known to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to the use of appropriate probes to detect the protective sequences within an appropriate cDNA or gDNA (genomic DNA) library. (See, for example, Sambrook et al, 1989, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). Probes for the novel sequences reported herein may be obtained directly from CNI-NPP2-CP10, which represents a composite deposit containing the isolated clones, which was deposited with the ATCC as Accession No. PTA-1492 on March 16, 2000. Alternatively, oligonucleotide probes for the novel protective sequences may be synthesized based on the DNA sequences disclosed herein.
- the isolated protective nucleic acid molecules of the invention include, in particular, nucleic acid molecules which comprise the following sequences: (a) nucleic acids of protective sequences, as well as allelic variants, homologs, mutants and fragments thereof; (b) nucleic acids which encode protective sequence products and/or their regulatory elements, or fragments thereof; (c) nucleic acids which encode fusion proteins comprising protective sequence products and/or their regulatory elements, or one or more protective sequence product domains and/or their regulatory elements fused to a heterologous polypeptide; (d) nucleic acids which hybridize to the above described sequences under highly stringent or moderately stringent conditions, including, but not limited to human homologs; and (e) complementary (e.g., antisense) nucleic acids of the sequences described in (a) through (d), above.
- the nucleic acid molecules of the invention include, but are not limited to, cDNA, genomic DNA and RNA sequences.
- the two sequences are the same length.
- the determination of percent identity between two sequences also can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm.
- a preferred, non-limiting example of a mathematical algorithm utilized for the comparison of two sequences is the algorithm of Karlin and Altschul (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:2264-2268, modified as in Karlin and Altschul (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5873-5877. Such an algorithm is incorporated into the NBLAST and XBLAST programs of Altschul, et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 2i5:403-410.
- Gapped BLAST can be utilized as described in Altschul et al. (1997) Nucleic Acids Res.25:
- a PAM120 weight residue table When utilizing the ALIGN program for comparing amino acid sequences, a PAM120 weight residue table, a gap length penalty of 12 and a gap penalty of 4 can be used.
- the percent identity between two sequences can be determined using techniques similar to those described above, with or without allowing gaps. In calculating percent identity, typically only exact matches are counted.
- the nucleic acids of the invention further include: (a) any nucleic acid which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule of the invention under moderately stringent conditions, e.g., hybridization to filter-bound DNA in 6x sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at about
- SSC 6x sodium chloride/sodium citrate
- oligos deoxyoligonucleotides
- Tm (°C) 81.5+16.6(log[monovalent cations (molar)])+0.41 (% G+C)-(500/N) where N is the length of the probe.
- Tm (°C) 81.5+16.6(log[monovalent cations (molar)])+0.41(% G+C)-(0.61% formamide)-(500/N) where N is the length of the probe.
- hybridization is carried out at about 20-25 degrees below Tm (for DNA- DNA hybrids) or 10-15 degrees below Tm (for RNA-DNA hybrids).
- Exemplary highly stringent conditions may refer, e.g., to washing in 6xSSC/0.05% sodium pyrophosphate at 37°C (for about 14-base oligos), 48 °C (for about 17-base oligos), 55 °C (for about 20-base oligos) and 60 °C (for about 23-base oligos).
- the invention also encompasses (a) DNA vectors which contain any of the foregoing coding sequences and/or their complements (i.e., antisense); (b) DNA expression vectors which contain any of the foregoing coding sequences operatively associated with a regulatory element which directs the expression of the coding sequences; and (c) genetically engineered host cells which contain such vectors or have been engineered to contain and/or express a nucleic acid sequence of the invention, e.g., any of the foregoing coding sequences operatively associated with a regulatory element which directs the expression of the coding sequences in the host cell.
- regulatory elements include but are not limited to inducible and non-inducible promoters, enhancers, operators and other elements known to those skilled in the art which drive and regulate expression.
- the invention further includes fragments of any of the DNA sequences disclosed herein.
- the nucleic acid molecules may encode or act as antisense molecules, useful, for example, in protective sequence regulation, and/or as hybridization probes and/or as primers in amplification reactions of protective nucleic acid sequences. Further, such sequences may be used as part of ribozyme and/or triple helix sequences, also useful for protective sequence regulation. Still further, such molecules may be used as components of diagnostic methods whereby, for example, the presence of a particular allele involved in a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death may be detected.
- the protective nucleic acids of the invention can be readily obtained, for example, by standard sequencing and the sequences provided herein.
- DNA sequence polymorphisms of a protective sequence will exist within a population of individual organisms (e.g., within a human population). Such polymorphisms may exist, for example, among individuals within a population due to natural allelic variation. Such polymorphisms include ones that lead to changes in amino acid sequence.
- An allele is one bf a group of alternative forms of a gene that occur at a given genetic locus.
- the terms “gene” and “recombinant gene” refer to nucleic acid molecules comprising any of up to six open reading frames which may or may not encode a polypeptide of the invention.
- the terms “gene” and “recombinant gene” refer to nucleic acid molecules encoding any of the open reading frames shown in Figures 4-13, and described in Tables 2-11, respectively.
- the term can further include nucleic acid molecules comprising upstream and/or exon/intron sequences and structures.
- Alternative or differential splicing of a gene that encodes any of the open reading frames shown in Figures 4-13 can also generate an alternative or differential protective sequence product.
- a gene that generates one of the protective sequence products shown in Figures 4-13 may be encoded by 4 out of 6 exons that comprise the entire gene; alternative or differential splicing of the gene can generate other protective sequence products that are encoded by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the exons in the gene (Lewin, 2000, Genes N ⁇ , Oxford University Press, 702-705).
- the present invention also includes nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleic acids that separately encode these alternative or differential protective sequence products.
- the nucleic acid molecules comprise nucleic acids that encode an open reading frame of at least 3 contiguous amino acid residues from a full- length protein. In alternate embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules comprise an open reading frame which encodes at least about 5, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or more contiguous amino acid residues of a protein.
- the sequence obtained from clones containing partial coding sequences or non-coding sequences can be used to obtain the entire coding region by using the RACE method, for example (Chenchik, et al., 1995, CLO ⁇ TECHniques (X) 1: 5-8; Barnes, 1994, Proc. ⁇ atl.
- Oligonucleotides can be designed based on the sequence obtained from the partial clone that can amplify a reverse transcribed mR ⁇ A encoding the entire coding sequence.
- probes can be used to screen cD ⁇ A libraries prepared from an appropriate cell or cell line in which the protective sequence is transcribed.
- allelic variants of protective sequences associated with a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death any and all such nucleotide variations and resulting amino acid polymorphisms or variations which are the result of natural allelic variation of the protective sequence are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
- allelic variants include, but are not limited to, ones that do not alter the functional activity of the protective sequence product.
- the isolated protective sequences disclosed herein may be labeled and used to screen a cDNA library constructed from mRNA obtained from appropriate cells or tissues (e.g., brain) derived from the organism (e.g., guinea pig, cow and mouse) of interest.
- the hybridization conditions used generally should be of a lower stringency when the cDNA library is derived from an organism different from the type of organism from which the labeled sequence was derived, and can routinely be determined based on, e.g., relative relatedness of the target and reference organisms.
- the labeled fragment may be used to screen a genomic library derived from the organism of interest, again, using appropriately stringent conditions.
- Appropriate stringency conditions are well known to those of skill in the art as discussed above, and will vary predictably depending on the specific organisms from which the library and the labeled sequences are derived. For guidance regarding such conditions, see, for example, Sambrook, et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Press, N.Y.; and Ausubel, et al., 1989-1999, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Green Publishing Associates and Wiley Interscience, N.Y., both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- syntenic genes are genes which are believed to be located on the same chromosome because they are lost along with a marker gene which is known to be located on that chromosome.
- markers gene which is known to be located on that chromosome.
- a protective sequence allelic variant may be isolated from, for example, human nucleic acid,, by performing PCR using two degenerate oligonucleotide primer pools designed on the basis of amino acid sequences within the protective sequence product of interest.
- the template for the reaction may be cDNA obtained by reverse transcription of mRNA prepared from, for example, human or non-human cell lines or tissue known or suspected to express a wild type or mutant protective sequence allele.
- the allelic variant is isolated from an individual who has a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death. Such variants are described in the examples below.
- the PCR product may be subcloned and sequenced to ensure that the amplified sequences represent the sequences of a protective nucleic acid sequence.
- the PCR fragment may then be used to isolate a full-length cDNA clone by a variety of methods.
- the amplified fragment may be labeled and used to screen a bacteriophage cDNA library.
- the labeled fragment may be used to isolate genomic clones via the screening of a genomic library.
- RNA may be isolated, following standard procedures, from an appropriate cellular or tissue source.
- a reverse transcription reaction may be performed on the RNA using an oligonucleotide primer specific for the most 5' end of the amplified fragment for the priming of first strand synthesis.
- the resulting RNA/DNA hybrid may then be "tailed" with guanines using a standard terminal transferase reaction.
- the hybrid may be digested with RNAase H and second strand synthesis may then be primed with a poly-C primer.
- cDNA sequences upstream of the amplified fragment may easily be isolated.
- the isolated protective sequence is the normal, or wild type gene
- this gene may be used to isolate mutant alleles of the protective sequence.
- Such an isolation is preferable in processes and disorders that are known or suspected to have a genetic basis.
- Mutant alleles may be isolated from individuals either known or suspected to have a genotype which contributes to symptoms of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death. Mutant alleles and mutant allele products may then be utilized in the therapeutic and diagnostic assay systems described below.
- a cDNA of the mutant protective sequence may be isolated, for example, by using PCR, a technique well known to those of skill in the art.
- the first cDNA strand may be synthesized by" hybridizing an oligo-dT oligonucleotide to mRNA isolated from tissue known or suspected to be expressed in an individual putatively carrying the mutant allele, and by extending the new strand with reverse transcriptase.
- the second strand of the cDNA is then synthesized using an oligonucleotide that hybridizes specifically to the 5' end of the normal protective sequence.
- the product is then amplified via PCR, cloned into a suitable vector and subjected to DNA sequence analysis through methods well known to those of skill in the art.
- DNA sequence analysis By comparing the DNA sequence of the mutant protective sequence to that of the normal protective sequence, the mutation(s) responsible for the loss or alteration of function of the mutant gene product can be ascertained.
- a genomic or cDNA library can be constructed and screened using DNA or RNA, respectively, from a tissue known to or suspected of expressing the protective sequence of interest in an individual suspected of or known to carry the mutant allele.
- the normal protective sequence or any suitable fragment thereof may then be labeled and used as a probed to identify the corresponding mutant allele in the library.
- the clone containing this protective sequence may then be purified through methods routinely practiced in the art, and subjected to sequence analysis as described above in this Section.
- the invention also includes nucleic acid molecules, preferably DNA molecules that are the complements of the nucleic acids of the preceding paragraphs.
- the protective nucleic acid molecules of the invention are present as part of protective nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleic acid sequences which do not contain heterologous (e.g., cloning vector or expression vector) sequences.
- the protective nucleic acid molecules of the invention further comprise vector sequences, e.g., cloning vectors or expression vectors.
- Protective sequence products or fragments thereof of the invention can be prepared for a variety of uses, including but not limited to, prophylactic or therapeutic modulators of protective sequence product function, for the generation of antibodies, diagnostic assays, or for the identification of other cellular or extracellular protective sequence products involved in the regulation of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- the protective sequence products of the invention include, but are not limited to, human protective sequence products and non-human protective sequence products, e.g., mammalian (such as bovine or guinea pig), protective sequence products.
- Protective sequence products of the invention includes those gene products encoded by any of up to six translational reading frames of the protective sequence sequences depicted in Table 1, as well as gene products encoded by other human allelic variants and non-human variants of protective sequence products which can be identified by the methods herein described.
- protective sequence product variants are protective sequence products comprising amino acid residues encoded by polymorphisms of such protective sequence products.
- protective sequence products of the invention may include proteins that represent functionally equivalent gene products.
- Functionally equivalent protective sequence products may include, for example, protective sequence products encoded by one of the nucleic acid molecules described in Section 5.1, above. In prefened embodiments, such functionally equivalent protective sequence products are naturally occurring gene products.
- Functionally equivalent protective sequence products also include - gene products which retain at least one of the biological activities of the protective sequence products described above, and/or which are recognized by and bind to antibodies (polyclonal or monoclonal) directed against protective sequence products of the invention.
- Equivalent protective sequence products may contain deletions, including internal deletions, additions, including additions yielding fusion proteins, or substitutions of amino acid residues within and/or adjacent to the amino acid sequence encoded by the protective sequence sequences described, above, in Section 5.1.
- deletions will be deletions of single ami ⁇ o acid residues, or deletions of no more than about 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or 20 amino acid residues, either contiguous or non-contiguous.
- additions or substitutions, other than additions which yield fusion proteins will be additions or substitutions of single amino acid residues, or additions or substitutions of no more than about 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or 20 amino acid residues, either contiguous or non-contiguous.
- these modifications result in a "silent" change, in that the change produces a protective sequence product with the same activity as the original protective sequence product.
- nucleic acid changes resulting in amino acid additions or substitutions may also be made for the purpose of modifying the protective sequence product in order to generally enhance their use as therapeutic agents or components for assays, such modifications to include, but not be limited to, stabilizing the product against degradation, enhancing pharmacokinetic properties, modifying site tropisms at the level of cells, tissues, organs, or organisms.
- protective sequence products can, for example, alter one or more of the biological functions of the protective sequence product. Further, such alterations can be selected so as to generate protective sequence products which include, but are not limited to, products which are better suited for expression, scale up, etc. in the host cells chosen. For example, cysteine residues can be deleted or substituted with another amino acid residue in order to eliminate disulfide bridges.
- Protective sequence products of the invention also include gene products generated by alternative or differential splicing patterns of a gene that encodes for the peptides shown in Figures 4-13. An isolated gene often includes alternating exons and introns; as a result, the same gene can generate a variety of gene products by alternative or differential forms of splicing.
- Protein fragments and/or peptides of the invention may comprise at least as many contiguous amino acid residues as necessary to represent an epitope fragment (that is to be recognized by an antibody directed to the protein). Examples of such protein fragments and/or peptides of the invention are shown by the open reading frames of the protective sequences shown in Figures 4-13, and described in Tables 2-11, respectively. In one nonlimiting embodiment of the invention, such protein fragments or peptides comprise at least about 3 contiguous amino acid residues from a full-length protein.
- the protein fragments and peptides of the invention can comprise about 5, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 or more contiguous amino acid residues of a protein.
- Peptides and/or proteins conesponding to one or more domains of the protein as well as fusion proteins in which a protein, or a portion of a protein such as a truncated protein or peptide or a protein domain, is fused to an unrelated protein are also within the scope of this invention.
- Such proteins and peptides can be designed on the basis of the nucleic acids disclosed in Section 5.1, above.
- Fusion proteins include, but are not limited to, IgFc fusions which stabilize the protein or peptide and prolong half-life in vivo; or fusions to any amino acid sequence which allows the fusion protein to be anchored to the cell membrane; or fusions to an enzyme, fluorescent protein, luminescent protein or a epitope tagged protein or peptide which provides a marker function.
- a signal sequence includes a peptide of at least about 15 or 20 amino acid residues in length which occurs at the N-terminus of secretory and membrane-bound proteins and which contains at least about 70% hydrophobic amino acid residues such as alanine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, tryptophan or valine.
- a signal sequence contains at least about 10 to 40 amino acid residues, preferably about 19-34 amino acid residues and has at least about 60-80%, more preferably 65-75% and more preferably at least about 70% hydrophobic residues.
- a signal sequence serves to direct a protein containing such a sequence to a lipid bilayer.
- a signal sequence of a polypeptide of the invention can be used to facilitate secretion and isolation of the secreted protein or other proteins of interest.
- Signal sequences are typically characterized by a core of hydrophobic amino acids, which are generally cleaved from the mature protein during secretion in one or more cleavage events.
- Such signal peptides contain processing sites that allow cleavage of the signal sequence from the mature proteins as they pass through the secretory pathway.
- the invention pertains to the described polypeptides having a signal sequence (that is, "immature” polypeptides), as well as to the signal sequences themselves and to the polypeptides in the absence of a signal sequence (i.e., the "mature" cleavage products).
- polypeptides of the invention can further comprise polypeptides comprising any signal sequence having characteristics as described above and a mature polypeptide sequence.
- a nucleic acid sequence encoding a signal sequence of the invention can be operably linked in an expression vector to a protein of interest, such as a protein which is ordinarily not secreted or is otherwise difficult to isolate.
- the signal sequence directs secretion of the protein, such as from a eukaryotic host into which the expression vector is transformed, and the signal sequence is subsequently or concunently cleaved.
- the protein can then be readily purified from the extracellular medium by art recognized methods.
- the signal sequence can be linked to the protein of interest using a sequence which facilitates purification, such as with a GST domain.
- RNA capable of encoding protective sequence product sequences may be chemically synthesized using, for example, synthesizers. See, for example, the techniques described in "Oligonucleotide Synthesis", 1984, Gait, ed., URL Press, Oxford.
- host-expression vector systems may be utilized to express the protective sequence product coding sequences of the invention.
- Such host-expression systems represent vehicles by which the coding sequences of interest may be produced and subsequently purified, but also represent cells which may, when transformed or transfected with the appropriate nucleotide coding sequences, exhibit the protective sequence product of the invention in situ.
- These include, but are not limited to, microorganisms such as bacteria (e.g. , E. coli, B.
- subtilis transformed with recombinant bacteriophage DNA, plasmid DNA or cosmid DNA expression vectors containing protective sequence product coding sequences; yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces, Pichia) transformed with recombinant yeast expression vectors containing the protective sequence product coding sequences; insect cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors (e.g., baculovirus) containing the protective sequence product coding sequences; plant cell systems infected with recombinant virus expression vectors (e.g., cauliflower mosaic virus, CaMN; tobacco mosaic virus, TMV) or transformed with recombinant plasmid expression vectors (e.g., Ti plasmid) containing protective sequence product coding sequences; or mammalian cell systems (e.g., COS, CHO, BHK, 293, 3T3) harboring recombinant expression constructs containing promoters derived from the genome of mammalian cells (e.g.
- metallothionine promoter or from mammalian viruses (e.g., the adenovirus late promoter; the vaccinia virus 7.5K promoter).
- mammalian viruses e.g., the adenovirus late promoter; the vaccinia virus 7.5K promoter.
- a number of expression vectors may be advantageously selected depending upon the use intended for the protective sequence product being expressed. For example, when a large quantity of such a protein is to be produced, for the generation of pharmaceutical compositions of protective sequence product or for raising antibodies to protective sequence product, for example, vectors which direct the expression of high levels of fusion protein products which are readily purified may be desirable.
- vectors include, but are not limited to, the E. coli expression vector pUR278 (Ruther et al, 1983, ⁇ MBO J.
- pG ⁇ X vectors may also be used to express foreign polypeptides as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST).
- GST glutathione S-transferase
- fusion proteins are soluble and can easily be purified from lysed cells by adsorption to glutathione-agarose beads followed by elution in the presence of free glutathione.
- the pG ⁇ X vectors are designed to include thrombin or factor
- Autographa californica, nuclear polyhidrosis virus (AcNPN) is used as a vector to express foreign genes.
- the virus grows in Spodoptera frugiperda cells.
- the protective sequence product coding sequence may be cloned individually into non-essential regions (for example the polyhedrin gene) of the virus and placed under control of an Ac ⁇ PN promoter (for example the polyhedrin promoter). Successful insertion of protective sequence product coding sequence will result in inactivation of the polyhedrin gene and production of non-occluded recombinant virus (i.e., virus lacking the proteinaceous coat coded for by the polyhedrin gene).
- recombinant viruses are then used to infect Spodoptera frugiperda cells in which the inserted gene is expressed, (e.g., see Smith, et al, 1983, J. Virol. 46:584; Smith, U.S. Patent No. 4,215,051).
- a number of viral-based expression systems may be utilized.
- the protective sequence product coding sequence of interest may be ligated to an adenovirus transcription/translation control complex, e.g., the late promoter and tripartite leader sequence. This chimeric gene may then be inserted in the adenovirus genome by in vitro or in vivo recombination.
- Insertion in a non-essential region of the viral genome will result in a recombinant virus that is viable and capable of expressing protective sequence products in infected hosts.
- a recombinant virus that is viable and capable of expressing protective sequence products in infected hosts.
- Specific initiation signals may also be required for efficient translation of inserted protective sequence product coding sequences. These signals include the ATG initiation codon and adjacent sequences. In cases where an entire protective sequence, including its own initiation codon and adjacent sequences, is inserted into the appropriate expression vector, no additional translational control signals may be needed.
- exogenous translational control signals including, perhaps, the ATG initiation codon
- the initiation codon must be in phase with the reading frame of the desired coding sequence to ensure translation of the entire insert.
- exogenous translational control signals and initiation codons can be of a variety of origins, both natural and synthetic. The efficiency of expression may be enhanced by the inclusion of appropriate transcription enhancer elements, transcription terminators, etc. (see Bittner, et al, 1987, Methods in Enzymol. 153:516-544).
- a host cell strain may be chosen that modulates the expression of the inserted sequences, or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired. Such modifications (e.g., glycosylation) and processing (e.g., cleavage) of protein products may be important for the function of the protein.
- Different host cells have characteristic and specific mechanisms for the post-translational processing and modification of proteins and gene products. Appropriate cell lines or host systems can be chosen to ensure the conect modification and processing of the foreign protein expressed.
- eukaryotic host cells that possess the cellular machinery for proper processing of the primary transcript, glycosylation and phosphorylation of the gene product may be used.
- Such mammalian host cells include, but are not limited to, CHO, VERO, BHK, HeLa, COS, MDCK, 293, 3T3 and WI38.
- Additional host cells derived from neuronal tissue include, but are not limited to, PC- 12 cells and primary dissociated neurons which are removed from the brain and grown in culture. For long-term, high-yield production of recombinant proteins, stable expression is preferred.
- cell lines that stably express the protective sequence product may be engineered.
- host cells can be transformed with DNA controlled by appropriate expression control elements (e.g., promoter, enhancer, sequences, transcription terminators, polyadenylation sites, etc.), and a selectable marker.
- engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1-2 days in an enriched media, and then are switched to a selective media.
- the selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn can be cloned and expanded into cell lines.
- This method may advantageously be used to engineer cell lines that express the protective sequence product.
- Such engineered cell lines may be particularly useful in screening and evaluation of compounds that affect the endogenous activity of the protective sequence product.
- a number of selection systems may be used, including, but not limited to, the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (Wigler, et al, 1977, Cell 11:223), hypoxanthine- guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (Szybalska and Szybalski, 1962, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
- dhfr which confers resistance to methotrexate (Wigler, et al, 1980, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 77:3567; O'Hare, et al, 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
- transcriptionally silent i.e., a protective sequence which is normally not expressed, or is expressed only at very low levels in a cell line or microorganism, may be activated by inserting a regulatory element which is capable of promoting the expression of a normally expressed protective sequence product in that cell line or microorganism.
- a transcriptionally silent, endogenous protective sequence may be activated by insertion of a promiscuous regulatory element which works across cell types.
- the protective sequences may be associated operatively with a variety of different promoter/enhancer elements.
- the expression elements of these vectors may vary in their strength and specificities. Depending on the host/vector system utilized, any one of a number of suitable transcription and translation elements may be used.
- the promoter may be in the form of the promoter that is associated naturally with the gene of interest.
- the DNA may be positioned under the control of a recombinant or heterologous promoter, i.e., a promoter that is not associated normally with that gene.
- tissue specific promoter/enhancer elements may be used to regulate the expression of the transfened
- transcriptional control regions which exhibit tissue specificity which have been described and could be used, include, but are not limited to: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene control region which is active in cholinergic cells in the brain (Lonnerberg et al, 1996, JBC 271:33358-65; Lonnerberg et al, 1995, PNAS 92: 4046-50; Ibenez and Penson, 1991 Eur. J. Neurosci. 3: 1309-15), mouse Thy-1.2 gene control region which is active in adult neurons including hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum, cortex, RGC, DRG, and MN in the brain (Caroni, 1997, J Neurosci. Meth.
- ChAT choline acetyltransferase
- alpha- 1-antitrypsin gene control region which is active in liver (Kelsey et al, 1987, Genes and Devel. 1:161-171); beta-globin gene control region which is active in myeloid cells (Magram et al, 1985, Nature 315:338-340; Kollias et al, 1986, Cell 46:89-94); myelin basic protein gene control region which is active in oligodendrocyte cells in the brain (Readhead et al, 1987, Cell 48:703-712); myosin light chain-2 gene control region which is active in skeletal muscle (Shani, 1985, Nature 314:283-286) and gonadotropic releasing hormone gene control region which is active in the hypothalamus (Mason et al, 1986, Science 234:1372-1378).
- a heterologous regulatory element may be inserted into a stable cell line or cloned microorganism, such that it is operatively linked with an endogenous protective sequence, using techniques, such as targeted homologous recombination, which are well known to those of skill in the art, and described e.g., in Chappel, U.S. Patent No. 5,272,071; PCT publication No. WO 91/06667, published May 16, 1991.
- fusion protein may readily purify any fusion protein.
- a system described by Janknecht, et al. allows for the ready purification of non-denatured fusion proteins expressed in human cell lines (Janknecht, et al, 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8972-8976).
- the gene of interest is subcloned into a vaccinia recombination plasmid such that the gene's open reading frame is translationally fused to an amino-terminal tag consisting of six histidine residues. Extracts from cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus are loaded onto Ni 2+ -nitriloacetic acid-agarose columns and histidine-tagged proteins are selectively eluted with imidazole-containing buffers.
- the protective sequence products can also be expressed in transgenic animals.
- Animals of any species including, but not limited to, mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, pigs, micro-pigs, goats, sheep, cows and non-human primates, e.g., baboons, monkeys and chimpanzees may be used to generate transgenic animals.
- transgenic refers to animals expressing protective sequences from a different species (e.g., mice expressing human protective sequences), as well as animals which have been genetically engineered to overexpress endogenous (i.e., same species) sequences or animals which have been genetically engineered to no longer express endogenous protective sequences (i.e., "knock-out” animals), and their progeny.
- Any technique known in the art may be used to introduce a protective sequence transgene into animals to produce the founder lines of transgenic animals. Such techniques include, but are not limited to, pronuclear microinj ection (Hoppe and Wagner, 1989, U.S. Pat. No.
- transgenic animal clones containing a protective sequence transgene for example, nuclear transfer into enucleated oocytes of nuclei from cultured embryonic, fetal or adult cells induced to quiescence (Campbell, et al, 1996, Nature 380:64-66; Wilmut, et al, Nature 385:810-813).
- the present invention provides for transgenic animals which carry a protective sequence transgene in all their cells, as well as animals which carry the transgene in some, but not all their cells, i.e., mosaic animals.
- the transgene may be integrated as a single transgene or in concatamers, e.g., head-to-head tandems or head-to-tail tandems.
- the transgene also may be selectively introduced into and activated in a particular cell type by following, for example, the teaching of Lasko et al (Lasko, et al, 1992, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:6232-6236).
- the regulatory sequences required for such a cell-type specific activation will depend on the particular cell type of interest, and will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
- gene targeting is prefened.
- vectors containing some nucleic acids homologous to the endogenous protective sequence are designed for the purpose of integrating, via homologous recombination with chromosomal sequences, into and disrupting the function of the nucleic acid of the endogenous protective sequence.
- the transgene also may be selectively introduced into a particular cell type, thus inactivating the endogenous protective sequence in only that cell type, by following, for example, the teaching of Gu, et al. (Gu, et al, 1994, Science 265, 103-106).
- the regulatory sequences required for such a cell-type specific inactivation will depend on the particular cell type of interest, and will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
- Such protective sequence products include, but are not limited to, soluble derivatives such as peptides or polypeptides conesponding to one or more domains of the protective sequence product which are modified such that they are deleted for one or more hydrophobic domains.
- soluble derivatives such as peptides or polypeptides conesponding to one or more domains of the protective sequence product which are modified such that they are deleted for one or more hydrophobic domains.
- antibodies to the protein or anti-idiotypic antibodies which mimic the protective sequence product can be used to treat cell death-related conditions, disorders, or diseases involving the protective sequence product.
- nucleotide constructs encoding such protective sequence products can be used to genetically engineer host cells to express such protective sequence products in vivo; these genetically engineered cells can function as "bioreactors" in the body delivering a continuous supply of protective sequence product, peptides and soluble polypeptides.
- Described herein are methods for the production of antibodies capable of specifically recognizing one or more protective sequence product epitopes or epitopes of conserved variants or peptide fragments of the protective sequence products of the invention.
- antibodies that specifically recognize mutant forms of the protective sequence products of the invention are encompassed by the invention.
- the terms “specifically bind” and “specifically recognize” refer to antibodies which bind to protective sequence product epitopes involved in conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death at a higher affinity than they bind to protective sequence product epitopes not involved in such conditions, disorders, or diseases (e.g., random epitopes).
- Such antibodies may include, but are not limited to, polyclonal antibodies, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), human, humanized or chimeric antibodies, single chain antibodies, Fab fragments, F(ab') 2 fragments, fragments produced by a Fab expression library, anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies and epitope-binding fragments of any of the above.
- mAbs monoclonal antibodies
- Such antibodies may be used, for example, in the detection of a protective sequence product in a biological sample and may, therefore, be utilized as part of a diagnostic or prognostic technique whereby patients may be tested for abnormal levels of protective sequence products, and/or for the presence of abnormal forms of such protective sequence products.
- Such antibodies also may be utilized in conjunction with, for example, compound screening schemes, as described, below, in Section 5.4.2, for the evaluation of the effect of test compounds on protective sequence product levels and/or activity. Additionally, such antibodies can be used in conjunction with the gene therapy techniques described below, in Section 5.4.1.3., to evaluate, for example, the normal and/or engineered cells prior to their introduction into the patient.
- Antibodies derived from the protective sequence or. protective sequence product including, but not limited to, antibodies and anti-idiotypic antibodies that mimic activity or function additionally may be used in methods for inhibiting abnormal protective sequence product activity. Thus, such antibodies may, therefore, be utilized as part of treatment methods for protective sequence product-mediated conditions, disorders, or diseases.
- various host animals may be immunized with a protective sequence or protective sequence product, or a portion thereof.
- Such host animals may include, but are not limited to, rabbits, mice and rats, to name but a few.
- Various adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response, depending on the host species, including, but not limited to, Freund's (complete and incomplete), mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide, surface active substances such as lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions, peptides, oil emulsions, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, dinitrophenol and potentially useful human adjuvants such as BCG (bacille Calmette-Guerin) and Corynebacterium parvum.
- BCG Bacille Calmette-Guerin
- Polyclonal antibodies are heterogeneous populations of antibody molecules derived from the sera of animals immunized with an antigen, such as protective sequence product, or an antigenic functional derivative thereof.
- an antigen such as protective sequence product, or an antigenic functional derivative thereof.
- host animals such as those described above, may be immunized with protective sequence product supplemented with adjuvants as also described above.
- Monoclonal antibodies which are homogeneous populations of antibodies to a particular antigen, may be obtained by any technique that provides for the production of antibody molecules by continuous cell lines in culture. These include, but are not limited to, the hybridoma technique of Kohler and Milstein, (1975, Nature 256:495-497; and U.S. Patent No. 4,376,110), the human B-cell hybridoma technique (Kosbor-et al., 1983, Immunology
- Such antibodies may be of any immunoglobulin class including IgG, IgM, IgE, IgA, IgD and any subclass thereof.
- the hybridoma producing the mAb of this invention may be cultivated in vitro or in vivo. Production of high titers of mAbs in vivo makes this the presently prefened method of production.
- recombinant antibodies such as chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies, comprising both human and non-human portions, which can be made using standard recombinant DNA techniques, are within the scope of the invention.
- a chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions are derived from different animal species, such as those having a variable region derived from a murine mAb and a human immunoglobulin constant region. (See, e.g., Cabilly et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,816,567; and Boss et al., U.S. Patent No.
- Humanized antibodies are antibody molecules from non-human species having one or more complementarily determining regions (CDRs) from the non-human species and a framework region from a human immunoglobulin molecule.
- CDRs complementarily determining regions
- Such chimeric and humanized monoclonal antibodies can be produced by recombinant DNA techniques known in the art, for example using methods described in PCT Publication No. WO 87/02671; European Patent Application 184,187; European Patent Application 171,496; European Patent Application 173,494; PCT Publication No. WO 86/01533; U.S. Patent No. 4,816,567;
- Fully human antibodies are particularly desirable for therapeutic treatment of human patients.
- Such antibodies can be produced, for example, using transgenic mice which are incapable of expressing endogenous immunoglobulin heavy and light chains genes, but which can express human heavy and light chain genes.
- the transgenic mice are immunized in the normal fashion with a selected antigen, e.g., all or a portion of a polypeptide of the invention.
- Monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen can be obtained using conventional hybridoma technology.
- the human immunoglobulin transgenes harbored by the transgenic mice reanange during B cell differentiation, and subsequently undergo class switching and somatic mutation.
- a chimeric antibody is a molecule in which different portions are derived from different animal species, such as those having a variable region derived from a murine mAb and a human immunoglobulin constant region. (See, e.g., Cabilly et al., U.S. Patent No. 4,816,567; and Boss et al, U.S. Patent No. 4,816397, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.)
- An immunoglobulin light or heavy chain variable region consists of a "framework" region intenupted by three hypervariable regions, referred to as complementarily determining regions (CDRs).
- CDRs complementarily determining regions
- the extent of the framework region and CDRs have been precisely defined (see, "Sequences of Proteins of Immunological Interest", Kabat, E. et al, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1983) ).
- humanized antibodies are antibody molecules from non-human species having one or more CDRs from the non-human species and a framework region from a human immunoglobulin molecule.
- Single chain antibodies are formed by linking the heavy and light chain fragments of the Fv region via an amino acid bridge, resulting in a single chain polypeptide.
- Antibody fragments that recognize specific epitopes may be generated by known techniques.
- such fragments include, but are not limited to: the F(ab') 2 fragments, which can be produced by pepsin digestion of the antibody molecule and the Fab fragments, which can be generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of the F(ab') 2 fragments.
- Fab expression libraries may be constructed (Huse, et al, 1989, Science
- Described herein are various uses and applications of protective sequences, protective sequence products, including peptide fragments and fusion proteins thereof and of antibodies and anti-idiotypic antibodies derived from the protective sequence products and peptide fragments thereof.
- the application relates to compositions and methods for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- Such applications include, but are not limited to, the prophylactic or therapeutic use of protective sequences which, when introduced into a cell predisposed to undergo cell death or in the process of dying, to prevent, delay, or rescue a cell, cells, tissue, organs, or organisms from dying, as described below in Section 5.4.1
- Such applications include methods for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death, including, but not limited to, those associated with the central nervous system including neurological and psychiatric conditions, disorders, or diseases, and others as described below, in Section 5.4.1.1, and for the identification of compounds which modulate the expression of the protective sequence and/or the synthesis or activity of the protective sequence product, as described below, in Section 5.4.1.
- Such compounds can include, for example, other cellular products that are involved in such processes as the regulation of cell death. These compounds can be used, for example, in the amelioration of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- ischemic injury One example of the type of injury that can cause cell death in neuronal cells is stroke, which often is the result of ischemic injury.
- a relatively broad time window (8 hours to perhaps several days or longer) exists between the onset of ischemic injury (i.e. cessation or marked reduction in blood flow) before most neural cells actually die.
- ischemic injury i.e. cessation or marked reduction in blood flow
- These delayed biochemical intervention points represent ideal clinical intervention points as they conespond to the time period during which most stroke patients present for medical treatment.
- vascular dementia multi-infarct dementia
- vascular dementia a repetitive process of small blood vessel diseases induces regional brain cell death, leading to a progressive loss of cognitive abilities.
- a partial list of other brain diseases which activate brain cell death pathways similar to those observed in stroke include, but are not limited to, Parkinson's disease, traumatic injury, Down's syndrome, Huntington's disease, H1N infection and intracranial infections.
- protective sequences include, but not limited to, prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of conditions, disorders, or diseases as described below in Section 5.4.1.1.
- a variety of methods can be employed for the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death and for the identification of subjects having a predisposition to such conditions, disorders, or diseases.
- diagnostic and prognostic methods may, for example, utilize reagents such as the protective nucleic acids described in Section 5.1, and antibodies directed against protective sequence products, including peptide fragments thereof, as described, above, in Section 5.3.
- reagents such as the protective nucleic acids described in Section 5.1, and antibodies directed against protective sequence products, including peptide fragments thereof, as described, above, in Section 5.3.
- such reagents may be used, for example, for:
- Protective nucleic acids can, for example, be used to diagnose a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death using, for example, the techniques for mutation/polymorphism detection described above in Section 5.1.
- Such polymorphisms can be used, for example, to refine the design of drugs by decreasing the incidence of adverse events in drug tolerance studies, e.g., by identifying patient subpopulations of individuals who respond or do not respond to a particular drug therapy in efficacy studies, wherein the subpopulations have a polymorphism associated with drug responsiveness or unresponsiveness.
- the pharmacogenomic methods of the present invention also can provide tools to identify new drug targets for designing drugs and to optimize the use of already existing drugs, e.g., to increase the response rate to a drug and/or to identify and exclude non-responders from certain drug treatments (e.g., individuals having a particular polymorphism associated with unresponsiveness or inferior responsiveness to the drug treatment) or to decrease the undesirable side effects of certain drug treatments and/or to identify and exclude individuals with marked susceptibility to such side effects (e.g., individuals having a particular polymorphism associated with an undesirable side effect to the drug treatment).
- certain drug treatments e.g., individuals having a particular polymorphism associated with unresponsiveness or inferior responsiveness to the drug treatment
- to decrease the undesirable side effects of certain drug treatments e.g., individuals having a particular polymorphism associated with an undesirable side effect to the drug treatment.
- polymorphisms in the protective sequence or flanking this sequence, or variations in protective sequence expression, or activity may be utilized to identify an individual having a disease or condition resulting from a disorder involving cell death and thus define the most effective and safest drug treatment.
- Assays such as those described herein may be used to identify such polymorphisms or variations in protective sequence expression or activity.
- an appropriate drug treatment can be prescribed to the individual.
- any nucleated cell can be used as a starting source for genomic nucleic acid.
- any cell type or tissue in which the protective sequence is expressed may be utilized.
- Nucleic acid-based detection techniques are described, below, in Section 5.4.1.4.
- Peptide detection techniques are described, below, in Section 5.4.1.5.
- kits for detecting the presence of a polypeptide or nucleic acid of the invention in a biological sample i.e., a test sample.
- kits for detecting the presence of a polypeptide or nucleic acid of the invention in a biological sample i.e., a test sample.
- kits for detecting the presence of a polypeptide or nucleic acid of the invention in a biological sample i.e., a test sample.
- kits can be used, e.g., to determine if a subject is suffering from or is at increased risk of developing a condition, disorder, or disease associated with a disorder- causing allele, or abenant expression or activity of a polypeptide of the invention.
- the kit can comprise a labeled compound or agent capable of detecting the polypeptide or mRNA or DNA or protective sequence sequences, e.g., encoding the polypeptide in a biological sample.
- the kit can comprise further a means for determining the amount of the polypeptide or mRNA in the sample (e.g., an antibody that binds the polypeptide or an oligonucleotide probe that binds to DNA or mRNA encoding the polypeptide).
- Kits can also include instructions for observing that the tested subject is suffering from, or is at risk of developing, a condition, disorder, or disease associated with aberrant expression of the polypeptide if the amount of the polypeptide or mRNA encoding the polypeptide is above or below a normal level, or if the DNA conelates with presence of an allele which causes a condition, disorder, or disease.
- the kit can comprise, for example: (1) a first antibody (e.g., attached to a solid support) which binds to a polypeptide of the invention; and, optionally, (2) a second, different antibody which binds to either the polypeptide or to the first antibody and is conjugated to a detectable agent.
- a first antibody e.g., attached to a solid support
- a second, different antibody which binds to either the polypeptide or to the first antibody and is conjugated to a detectable agent.
- the kit can comprise, for example: (1) an oligonucleotide (e.g., a detectably labeled oligonucleotide) which hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the invention, or (2) a pair of primers useful for amplifying a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide of the invention.
- an oligonucleotide e.g., a detectably labeled oligonucleotide
- primers useful for amplifying a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide of the invention.
- the kit also can comprise, for example, one or more buffering agents, preservatives or protein stabilizing agents.
- the kit also can comprise components necessary for detecting the detectable agent (e.g., an enzyme or a substrate).
- the kit can contain also a control sample or a series of control samples that can be assayed and compared to the test sample.
- Each component of the kit usually is enclosed within an individual container and all of the various containers are within a single package along with instructions for observing whether the tested subject is suffering from or is at risk of developing a condition, disorder, or disease associated with polymorphisms which correlate with alleles which cause conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death, and/or abenant levels of mRNA, polypeptides or activity.
- the application relates to the compositions and methods for the development of screening assays for the identification of compounds, described in Section 5.4.2 below, which interact with or modulate protective sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, and/or their regulatory elements.
- compositions and methods for the treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death include, but are not limited to, the prophylactic or therapeutic use of protective sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, or the regulatory elements, target sequences, or variants of any of the aforementioned sequences or products, which, when introduced into a cell predisposed to undergo cell death or in the process of dying, prevent, delay, or rescue a cell, cells, tissue, organs, or organisms from dying.
- the application further relates to the methods and compositions whereby a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death, including but not limited to, the conditions, disorders, or diseases mentioned in Section 5.4.1.1, may be treated wherein such methods can comprise administering antibodies, antisense molecules or , sequences, ribozyme molecules, or other inhibitors or modulators directed against such protective sequences, protective sequence products, genes, gene products, or the regulatory elements, target sequences, or variants of any of the aforementioned sequences or products.
- compositions and methods for those instances whereby the condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death results from protective sequence mutations can comprise supplying the subject with a nucleic acid molecule encoding an unimpaired protective sequence product such that an unimpaired protective sequence product is expressed and the cell, cells, tissue, organ, organism displaying symptoms of the condition, disorder, or disease is prevented, delayed, or rescued from death.
- such methods can comprise supplying the subject with a cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule which encodes an unimpaired protective sequence product such that the cell expresses the unimpaired protective sequence product and the cell, cells, tissue, organ, or organism displaying symptoms of the condition, disorder, or disease is prevented, delayed, or rescued from death.
- protective sequence product activity In cases in which a loss of normal protective sequence product function results in the development of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death, an increase in protective sequence product activity would facilitate progress towards an asymptomatic state in individuals exhibiting a deficient level of protective sequence expression and/or gene product activity.
- Methods for enhancing the expression or synthesis of protective sequence product can include, for example, methods such as those described below, in Section 5.4.1.3.
- symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death may be prevented, delayed, or rescued by administering a compound which decreases the level of protective sequence expression and/or gene product activity.
- Methods for inhibiting or reducing the level of protective sequence product synthesis or expression can include, for example, methods such as those described in Section 5.4.1.2.
- protective sequences are nucleic acid molecules comprising nucleic acid sequences which, when introduced into a cell predisposed to undergo cell death, prevent, delay, or rescue such cell death relative to a conesponding cell into which no exogenous protective sequence has been introduced.
- proteins and peptides which may be used in the methods of the invention include synthetic (e.g., recombinant or chemically synthesized) proteins and peptides, as well as naturally occurring proteins and peptides.
- the proteins and peptides may have both naturally occurring and non-naturally occurring amino acid residues (e.g., D-amino acid residues) and/or one or more non-peptide bonds (e.g., imino, ester, hydrazide, semicarbazide, and azo bonds).
- the proteins or peptides may also contain additional chemical groups (i.e., functional groups) present at the amino and/or carboxy termini, such that, for example, the stability, bioavailability, and/or inhibitory activity of the peptide is enhanced.
- exemplary functional groups include hydrophobic groups (e.g. carbobenzoxyl, dansyl, and t- butyloxycarbonyl, groups), an acetyl group, a 9-fluorenylmethoxy-carbonyl group and macromolecular carrier groups (e.g., lipid-fatty acid conjugates, polyethylene glycol, or carbohydrates) including peptide groups.
- Additional proteins and peptides which may be used in the methods of the invention include those described in WO 99/59615, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- the types of conditions, disorders, or diseases which can be prevented, delayed, or rescued by the compounds and methods of the present invention include, but are not limited to, those associated with the central nervous system including neurological and psychiatric conditions, disorders, or diseases; those of the peripheral nervous system; conditions, disorders, or diseases caused by physical injury; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the blood vessels or heart; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the respiratory system; neoplastic conditions, disorders, or diseases; conditions, disorders, or diseases of blood cells; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the liver; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the pancreas; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the kidney; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the ureters, urethra or bladder; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the male genital system; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the female genital tract; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the breast; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the endocrine system; conditions, disorders, or diseases of the thymus or pineal
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases involving the central nervous system include, but are not limited to, common pathophysiologic complications such as increased intracraneal pressure and cerebral herniation, septic embolism, cerebral edema, suppurative endovasculitis and hydrocephalus; infections such as meningitis, acute meningitis, acute lymphocytic meningitis, chronic meningitis, purulent meningitis, syphilitic gumma, encephalitis, cerebral abscess, epidural abscess, subdural abscess, brain abscess, viral encephalitis, acute viral encephalitis, encephalomeningitis, aseptic meningitis, post-infectious encephalitis, subacute encephalitis, chronic encephalitis, chronic meningitis, chronic encephalomeningitis, slow virus diseases and unconventional agent encephalopathies; protozoal infections such as malaria, toxoplasmosis, amebias
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the peripheral nervous system include, but are not limited to, peripheral neuropathy, acute idiopathic polyneuropathy, diabetic neuropathy and peripheral nerve tumors.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases caused by physical injury include, but are not limited to, the direct, indirect, immediate, or delayed effects of: changes in temperature such as frostbite and thermal burns; an increase in atmospheric pressure such as air blast or immersion blast caused by an explosion; a decrease in atmospheric pressure such as caisson disease or high-altitude hypoxia; mechanical violence from penetrating or non-penetrating traumatic injury; electromechanical energy such as radiation injury from either charged particles or electromagnetic waves; electrocution or non-ionizing radiation such as radio waves, microwaves, laser light or ultrasound.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the blood vessels or heart include, but are not limited to, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure; ischemic or atherosclerotic heart disease; myocardial infarction; cardiac arrest; hypertensive heart disease; cor pulmonale; valvular heart disease such as that caused by rheumatic fever, aortic valve stenosis, mitral annulus calcification, carcinoid heart disease, nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis, or nonbacterial verrucous endocarditis; infectious endocarditis caused by organisms including, but not limited to, Streptococcus species, Staphylococcus species, enterococci, pneumococci, gram-negative rods, Candida species, AspergiUus species, or culture-negative endocarditis; congenital heart disease such as atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosis, coarctation of the aorta, Tetralogy of Fallot
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the respiratory system include, but are not limited to, pulmonary congestion; heart failure; embolism; infarction; pulmonary hypertension; adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); obstructive lung disease; restrictive lung disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; asthma; sarcoidosis; diffuse interstitial or infiltrative lung diseases including, but not limited to, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pneumoconiosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Goodpasture' s syndrome, idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis, collagen-vascular diseases, or pulmonary eosinophilia; serofibrinous pleuritis; suppurative pleuritis; hemonhagic pleuritis; pleural effusions; pneumothorax; hemothorax or pneumohemothorax.
- Neoplastic conditions, disorders, or diseases include, but are not limited to, benign tumors composed of one parenchymal cell type such as fibromas, myxomas, lipomas, hemangiomas, meningiomas, leiomyomas, adenomas, nevi, moles, or papillomas; benign mixed tumors derived from one germ layer such as a mixed tumor of salivary gland origin; benign mixed tumors derived from more than one germ layer such as a teratoma; primary malignant tumors or metastases of malignant tumors composed of one parenchymal cell type such as sarcomas, Ewing's tumor, leukemia, myeloma, histiocytosis X, Hodgkin's disease, lymphomas, carcinomas, melanomas, bronchial adenoma, small cell lung cancer, or seminoma; primary malignant tumors or metastases of mixed malignant tumors derived from one germ layer such as Wilms' tumor or malignant
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of blood cells include, but are not limited to, anemia due to one or more of the following conditions: acute blood loss, chronic blood loss, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia syndromes, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, traumatic anemia, or diminished erythropoesis from megaloblastic anemia, iron deficiency, aplastic anemia, idiopathic bone marrow failure; polycythemia; hemorrhagic diatheses related to increased vascular fragility; hemorrhagic diatheses related to a reduction in platelets; idiopathic or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; hemonhagic diatheses related to defective platelet function; hemonhagic diatheses related to abnormalities in clotting factor(s); disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIG); neutropenia; agranulocytosis; leukocytosis; plasma cell dyscrasias such as mye
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies such as atresia, fistulas, or stenosis; periodontal disease; periapical disease; xerostomia; necrotizing sialometaplasia; esophageal rings or webs; hernia; Mallory- Weiss syndrome; esophagitis; diverticulosis; diverticulitis; scleroderma; esophageal varices; acute or chronic gastritis; peptic ulcer; gastric erosion or ulceration; ischemic bowel disease; infarction; embolism; Crohn's disease; obstruction from foreign bodies, hernia, adhesion, intussusception, or volvulus; ileus; megacolon; angoidysplasia; ulcerative colitis; psuedomembranous colitis; or polyps.
- congenital anomalies such as atresi
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the pancreas include, but are not limited to, congenital aberrant pancreas, congenital anomalies of pancreatic ducts, stromal fatty infiltration, pancreatic atrophy, acute hemonhagic pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, chronic calcifying pancreatitis, chronic obstructive pancreatitis, pancreatic psuedocyst, diabetes mellitus, or gestational diabetes.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the kidney include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies; polycystic renal disease; dialysis-associated cystic disease; glomerular disease, including, but not limited to, acute glomerulonephritis, acute proliferative glomerulonephritis, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, postinfectious rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, Goodpasture's syndrome, idiopathic rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, membranous glomerulonephritis, lipoid nephrosis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, focal proliferative glomerulonephritis, chronic glomerulonephritis, or hereditary nephritis; acute tubular necrosis; acute renal failure; tubulointerstitial diseases including, but not limited to, pyelonephritis
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the ureters, urethra or bladder include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies; inflammatory diseases; physical obstruction by causes including, but not limited to calculi, strictures, neoplasia, blood clot, or pregnancy; sclerosing retroperitonitis; acute cystitis; chronic cystitis; interstitial cystitis; emphysematous cystitis; eosinophilic cystitis; encrusted cystitis; fistula; or neurogenic bladder.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the male genital system include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies; balanoposthitis; condyloma; phimosis; paraphimosis; dysplastic epithelial lesions; nonspecific epididymitis or orchitis; granulomatous orchitis; torsion of the testis or its vascular supply; granulomatous prostatitis; acute or chronic prostatitis; or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the breast include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies, acute mastitis, chronic mastitis, galactocele, granulomas, traumatic fat necrosis, mammary duct ectasia, fibrocystic disease, sclerosing adenitis, epithelial hyperplasia, hypertrophy, or gynecomastia.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the endocrine system include, but are not limited to, congenital anomalies; Sheehan's pituitary necrosis; empty sella syndrome; hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis) from causes including, but not limited to, Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter, toxic adenoma, acute or subacute thyroiditis, TSH-secreting tumor, neonatal thyrotoxicosis, iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis; Hashimoto's thyroiditis; hypothyroidism (cretinism or myxedema) from causes including, but not limited to, surgical or radioactive ablation, primary idiopathic myxedema, iodine deficiency, goitrogenic agents, hypopituitarism, hypothalamic lesions, TSH resistance, subacute thyroiditis, or chronic thyroiditis; diffuse nontoxic simple or multinodular goiter; multiple endoc
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the skin or mucosa include, but are not limited to, melanocytic proliferative disorders; inflammatory dermatoses including, but not limited to, eczematous dermatitis, urticaria, erythema multiforme, cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, graft-versus-host disease, panniculitis, acne vulgaris, rosacea, lichen planus, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, pityriasis, psoriasis, or parapsoriasis; blistering diseases including, but not limited to, pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, dermatitis herpetiformis, or porphyria.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the musculoskeletal system include, but are not limited to, muscular atrophy; segmental necrosis; myositis; muscular dystrophy, including, but not limited to, Duchenne type, Becker type, Fascioscapulohumeral, Limb- Girdle, myotonic dystrophy, or ocular myopathy; congenital myopathies; myasthenia gravis; traumatic myositis ossificans; nodular fasciitis; desmoid tumors; palmar fibromatosis; congenital bone disorders including, but not limited to, osteogenesis imperfecta, achondroplasia, osteopetrosis, osteochondromatosis, endochondromatosis; osteomyelitis; fractures; osteoporosis; osteomalacia; bony changes secondary to hyperparathyroidism; Paget's disease; hypertrophic osteoarthropathy; fibrous dysplasia; or nonossifying fibroma.
- disorders, or diseases include, but are not limited to, Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome, Patau's syndrome, other trisomies, Cri du Chat syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome, XYY syndrome, Turner's syndrome, Multi-X female syndrome, hermaphrodism or pseudohermaphrodism, Marian's syndrome, neurofibromatosis, vonHippel-Lindau disease, familial hypercholesterolemia, albinism, alkaptonuria, Fabry's disease, Fragile-X syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, inherited neoplastic syndromes, inherited autosomal dominant conditions, Huntington's disease, Alport's disease, sickle-cell disease, thalessemia, tuberous sclerosis, vonWillebrand's disease, polycystic kidney disease, Pompe's disease, GMl-gangliosidosis; Tay-Sachs disease, Sandhoff-Jatzkewitz disease, metachromatic le
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases of the immune system or spleen include, but are not limited to, Type I hypersensitivity conditions (anaphylaxis and other basophil or mast cell mediated conditions), Type U hypersensitivity conditions (cytotoxic conditions involving phagocytosis or lysis of target cell), Type UJ hypersensitivity conditions (immune complex conditions involving antigen-antibody complexes), Type IN hypersensitivity conditions (cell- mediated conditions), transplant rejection, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, CREST, scleroderma, polymyositis-dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, polyarteritis nodosa, amyloidosis, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, isolated IgA deficiency, DiGeorge's syndrome, severe combined immunodeficiency, Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome, infection with FUN virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), congenital anomalies of
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases caused by a nutritional disease include, but are not limited to, marasmus, kwashiorkor, fat-soluble vitamin deficiency or toxicity (Vitamins A, D, E, or K), water-soluble vitamin deficiency or toxicity (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, cobalamin, Vitamin C), mineral deficiency or toxicity (iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, zinc, copper, iodine, cobalt, chromium, selenium, nickel, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum, rickets, osteomalacia, beriberi, hypoprothrombinemia, pellagra, megaloblastic anemia, scurvy, pernicious anemia, lack of gastric intrinsic factor, removal or pathophysiological functioning in the terminal ileum, microcytic anemia, or obesity.
- Conditions, disorders, or diseases typically occurring in infancy or childhood include, but are not limited to, preterm birth, congenital malformations from genetic causes, congenital malformations from infectious causes, congenital malformations from toxic or teratogenic causes, congenital malformations from radiation, congenital malformations from idiopathic causes, small for gestational age infants, perinatal trauma, perinatal asphyxia, perinatal ischemia or hypoxia, birth injury, intracranial hemorrhage, deformations, respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn, atelectasis, hemolytic disease of the newborn, kernicterus, hydrops fetalis, congenital anemia of the newborn, icterus gravis, phenylketonuria, galactosemia, cystic fibrosis, hamartoma, or choristoma.
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to treat infections that cause cell death.
- the infections may be caused by bacteria; viruses; members of the family rickettsiae or chlamydia; fungi, yeast, hyphae or pseudohyphae; prions; protozoas; or metazoas.
- aerobic or anaerobic bacteria which may cause such infections include, but are not limited to, gram-positive cocci, gram-positive bacilli (gram-positive rods), gram-negative cocci, gram-negative bacilli (gram-negative rods), Mycoplasma species, Ureaplasma species, Treponema species, Leptospira species, Bonelia species, Vibrio species, Mycobacteria species, members of Actinomycetes or L-forms (cell-wall deficient forms).
- DNA, RNA or both DNA and RNA viruses which may cause such infections include, but are not limited to, members of the families adenoviridae, parvoviridae, papovaviridae, herpesviridae, poxviridae, picornaviridae, orthomyxoviridae, paramyxoviridae, rhabdoviridae, bunyaviridae, arenaviridae, coronaviridae, retroviridae, reoviridae, togaviridae and caliciviridae.
- Examples of members of the families rickettsiae or chlamydiae which may cause such infections include, but are not limited to, Rickettsia species, Rochahmaea species,
- fungi examples include, but are not limited to, members of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, or Deutoeromycota (Fungi Imperfecti); Candida species, Cryptococcus species, Torulopsis species, Rhodotorula species, Sporothrix species, Phialophora species,
- Cladosporium species Cladosporium species, Xylohypha species, Blastomyces species, Histoplasma species, Coccidioides species, Paracoccidioides species, Geotrichum species, AspergiUus species, Rhizopus species, Mucor species, Pseudoallescheria species or Absidia species.
- prions which may cause such infections include, but are not limited to, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease, the causative agent of
- Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease the causative agent of fatal familial insomnia, the causative agent of kuru, and the causative agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
- Leptomyxida Plasmodium species, Toxoplasma species, Leishmania species and Trypanosoma species.
- metazoa at any point in their life cycle which may cause such infections include, but are not limited to, members of Platyhelminthes such as the organisms in Cestoda (tapeworms) or Trematoda (flukes); or members of Aschelminthes such as the organisms in Acanthocephala, Chaetognatha, Cycliophora, Gastrotricha, Nematoda or Rotifera.
- members of Platyhelminthes such as the organisms in Cestoda (tapeworms) or Trematoda (flukes); or members of Aschelminthes such as the organisms in Acanthocephala, Chaetognatha, Cycliophora, Gastrotricha, Nematoda or Rotifera.
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to treat infections or disorders which cause cell death in organ systems including, but not limited to, blood vessels, heart, red blood cells, white blood cells, lymph nodes, spleen, respiratory system, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary tract, pancreas, kidney, lower urinary tract, upper urinary tract and bladder, male sexual organs and genitalia, female sexual organs and genitalia, breast, thyroid gland, adrenal gland, parathyroid gland, skin, musculoskeletal system, bone marrow or bones.
- the compounds and methods of the invention can be used to treat further physiological impacts on organs caused by the infections which induce cell death including, but not limited to, fever equal to or greater than 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, a decrease or increase in pulse rate by more than 20 beats per minute, a decrease or increase in supine systolic blood pressure by more than 30 millimeters of mercury, an increase or decrease in respiratory rate by more than 8 breaths per minute, an increase or decrease in blood pH by more than 0.10 pH units, an increase or decrease in one or more serum electrolytes outside of the clinical laboratory's usual reference range, an increase or decrease in the partial pressure of arterial oxygen or carbon dioxide outside of the clinical laboratory's usual reference range, an increase or decrease in white or red blood cells outside of the laboratory's usual reference range, an acute confusional state such as delirium where delirium is defined by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IN Manual or a diminished level of consciousness or attention.
- the types of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death which may be prevented, delayed, or rescued by modulating protective sequence expression, protective sequence product activity, or their regulatory elements by using protective sequences in conjunction with well-known antisense, gene "knock-out,” ribozyme and/or triple helix methods, are described.
- the compounds which may exhibit the ability to modulate the activity, expression or synthesis of the protective sequence, the protective sequence product, or its regulatory elements, including the ability to prevent, delay, or rescue a cell, cells, tissue, organ, or organism from the symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death are antisense, ribozyme and triple helix molecules.
- Antisense RNA and DNA molecules act to directly block the translation of mRNA by hybridizing to targeted mRNA and preventing protein translation.
- Antisense approaches involve the design of oligonucleotides which are complementary to a protective sequence mRNA. The antisense oligonucleotides will bind to the complementary protective sequence mRNA transcripts and prevent translation. Absolute complementarity, although prefened, is not required.
- a sequence "complementary" to a portion of an RNA means a sequence having sufficient complementarity to be able to hybridize with the RNA, forming a stable duplex; in the case of double-stranded antisense nucleic acids, a single strand of the duplex DNA may thus be tested, or triplex formation may be assayed.
- the ability to hybridize will depend on both the degree of complementarity and the length of the antisense nucleic acid. Generally, the longer the hybridizing nucleic acid, the more base mismatches with an RNA it may contain and still form a stable duplex (or triplex, as the case may be).
- One skilled in the art can ascertain a tolerable degree of mismatch by use of standard procedures to determine the melting point of the hybridized complex.
- oligonucleotides complementary to non-coding regions of the protective sequence of interest could be used in an antisense approach to inhibit translation of endogenous mRNA.
- Antisense nucleic acids should be at least six nucleotides in length, and are preferably oligonucleotides ranging from 6 to about 50 nucleotides in length.
- the oligonucleotide is at least 10 nucleotides, at least 17 nucleotides, at least 25 nucleotides or at least 50 nucleotides.
- in vitro studies are first performed to quantitate the ability of the antisense oligonucleotide to inhibit protective sequence expression. It is preferred that these studies utilize controls that distinguish between antisense gene inhibition and nonspecific biological effects of oligonucleotides. It is also prefened that these studies compare levels of the cerebral RNA or protein with that of an internal control RNA or protein. Additionally, it is envisioned that results obtained using the antisense oligonucleotide are compared with those obtained using a control oligonucleotide.
- control oligonucleotide is of approximately the same length as the test oligonucleotide and that the nucleic acid of the oligonucleotide differs from the antisense sequence no more than is necessary to prevent specific hybridization to the target sequence.
- the oligonucleotides can be DNA or RNA or chimeric mixtures or derivatives or modified versions thereof, single-stranded or double-stranded.
- the oligonucleotide can be modified at the base moiety, sugar moiety, or phosphate backbone, for example, to improve stability of the molecule, hybridization, etc.
- the oligonucleotide may include other appended groups such as peptides (e.g., for targeting host cell receptors in vivo), or agents facilitating transport across the cell membrane (see, e.g., Letsinger, et al, 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
- the oligonucleotide may be conjugated to another molecule, e.g., a peptide, hybridization triggered cross-linking agent, transport agent, hybridization-triggered cleavage agent, etc.
- the antisense oligonucleotide may comprise at least one modified base moiety which is selected from the group including but not limited to 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-chlorouracil, 5-iodouracil, hypoxanthine, xanthine, 4-acetylcytosine, 5-(carboxyhydroxylmethyl) uracil, 5-carboxymethylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine, 5-carboxymethylaminomethyluracil, dihydrouracil, beta-D-galactosylqueosine, inosine,
- modified base moiety which is selected from the group including but not limited to 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-chlorouracil, 5-iodouracil, hypoxanthine, xanthine, 4-acetylcytosine, 5-(carboxyhydroxylmethyl) uracil, 5-carboxymethylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine, 5-carboxymethylamino
- N6-isopentenyladenine 1-methylguanine, 1-methylinosine, 2,2-dimethylguanine, 2-methyladenine, 2-methylguanine, 3-methylcytosine, 5-methylcytosine, N6-adenine, 7-methylguanine, 5-methylaminomethyluracil, 5-methoxyaminomethyl-2-thiouracil, beta- D-mannosylqueosine, 5'-methoxycarboxymethyluracil, 5-methoxyuracil, 2-methylthio-N6- isopentenyladenine, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), wybutoxosine, pseudouracil, queosine,
- 2-thiocytosine 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 2-thiouracil, 4-thiouracil, 5-methyluracil, uracil- 5-oxyacetic acid methylester, uracil-5-oxyacetic acid (v), 5-methyl-2-thiouracil, 3-(3-amino- 3-N-2-carboxypropyl) uracil, (acp3)w, and 2,6-diaminopurine.
- the antisense oligonucleotide may also comprise at least one modified sugar moiety selected from the group including but not limited to arabinose, 2-fIuoroarabinose, xylulose, and hexose.
- the antisense oligonucleotide comprises at least one modified phosphate backbone selected from the group consisting of a phosphorothioate, a phosphorodithioate, a phosphoramidothioate, a phosphoramidate, a phosphordiamidate, a methylphosphonate, an alkyl phosphotriester, and a formacetal or analog thereof.
- Oligonucleotides of the invention may be synthesized by standard methods known in the art, e.g., by use of an automated DNA synthesizer (such as are commercially available from Biosearch, Applied Biosystems, etc.).
- an automated DNA synthesizer such as are commercially available from Biosearch, Applied Biosystems, etc.
- phosphorothioate oligonucleotides may be synthesized by the method of Stein, et al. (1988, Nucl. Acids Res. 16:3209)
- methylphosphonate oligonucleotides can be prepared by use of controlled pore
- Antisense nucleotides complementary to the protective sequence coding region sequence could be used, those complementary to the transcribed, untranslated region are most preferred. Antisense molecules should be delivered to cells that express the protective sequence in vivo.
- antisense molecules can be injected directly into the tissue site, or modified antisense molecules, designed to target the desired cells (e.g., antisense linked to peptides or antibodies which specifically bind receptors or antigens expressed on the target cell surface) can be administered systemically.
- a prefened approach to achieve intracellular concentrations of the antisense sufficient to suppress translation of endogenous mRNAs utilizes a recombinant DNA construct in which the antisense oligonucleotide is placed under the control of a strong pol UJ or pol U promoter.
- the use of such a construct to transfect target cells in the patient will result in the transcription of sufficient amounts of single stranded RNAs which will form complementary base pairs with the endogenous protective sequence transcripts and thereby prevent translation of the protective sequence mRNA.
- a vector can be introduced e.g., such that it is taken up by a cell and directs the transcription of an antisense RNA.
- Such a vector can remain episomal or become chromosomally integrated, as long as it can be transcribed to produce the desired antisense RNA.
- Such vectors can be constructed by recombinant DNA technology methods standard in the art.
- Vectors can be plasmid, viral, or others known in the art, used for replication and expression in mammalian cells.
- Expression of the sequence encoding the antisense RNA can be by any promoter known in the art to act in mammalian, preferably human cells. Such promoters can be inducible or constitutive.
- Such promoters include but are not limited to: the SV40 early promoter region (Bernoist and Chambon, 1981, Nature 290:304-310), the promoter contained in the 3 '-long terminal repeat of Rous sarcoma virus (Yamamoto, et al., 1980, Cell 22:787-797), the herpes thymidine kinase promoter (Wagner, et al, 1981, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78:1441-1445), the regulatory sequences of the metallothionein gene (Brinster, et al, 1982, Nature 296:39-42), etc.
- plasmid, cosmid, YAC or viral vector can be used to prepare the recombinant DNA construct that can be introduced directly into the tissue site.
- viral vectors can be used that selectively infect the desired tissue, in which case administration may be accomplished by another route (e.g., systemically).
- Ribozyme molecules designed to catalytically cleave target gene mRNA transcripts can also be used to prevent translation of target gene mRNA and, therefore, expression of target gene product. (See, e.g. , PCT International Publication WO90/11364, published October 4, 1990; Sarver, et al, 1990, Science 247, 1222-1225).
- Ribozymes are enzymatic RNA molecules capable of catalyzing the specific cleavage of RNA.
- the mechanism of ribozyme action involves sequence specific hybridization of the ribozyme molecule to complementary target RNA, followed by an endonucleolytic cleavage event.
- the composition of ribozyme molecules must include one or more sequences complementary to the target gene mRNA, and must include the well known catalytic sequence responsible for mRNA cleavage. For this sequence, see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 5,093,246, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- ribozymes that cleave mRNA at site specific recognition sequences can be used to destroy target gene mRNAs
- the use of hammerhead ribozymes is preferred.
- Hammerhead ribozymes cleave mRNAs at locations dictated by flanking regions which form complementary base pairs with the target mRNA. The sole requirement is that the target mRNA have the following sequence of two bases: 5 -UG-3'.
- the construction and production of hammerhead ribozymes is well known in the art and is described more fully in Myers, 1995, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: A Comprehensive Desk Reference, VCH
- the ribozyme is engineered so that the cleavage recognition site is located near the 5' end of the target gene mRNA, i.e., to increase efficiency and minimize the intracellular accumulation of non-functional mRNA transcripts.
- the ribozymes of the present invention also include RNA endoribonucleases (hereinafter "Cech-type ribozymes”) such as the one which occurs naturally in Tetrahymena thermophila (known as the IVS, or L-19 JNS R ⁇ A) and which has been extensively described by Thomas Cech and collaborators (Zaug, et al, 1984, Science, 224:574-578; Zaug and Cech, 1986, Science, 231:470-475; Zaug, et al, 1986, Nature, 324:429-433; published International patent application No. WO 88/04300 by University Patents Inc.; Been and Cech, 1986, Cell, 47:207-216).
- Cech-type ribozymes such as the one which occurs naturally in Tetrahymena thermophila (known as the IVS, or L-19 JNS R ⁇ A) and which has been extensively described by Thomas Cech and collaborators (Zaug, et al, 1984, Science, 224:574-578
- the Cech-type ribozymes have an eight base pair active site that hybridizes to a target RNA sequence whereafter cleavage of the target RNA takes place.
- the invention encompasses those Cech-type ribozymes that target eight base-pair active site sequences that are present in the target gene.
- the ribozymes can be composed of modified oligonucleotides (e.g., for improved stability, targeting, etc.) and should be delivered to cells that express the target gene in vivo.
- a preferred method of delivery involves using a DNA construct "encoding" the ribozyme under the control of a strong constitutive pol HJ or pol II promoter, so that transfected cells will produce sufficient quantities of the ribozyme to destroy endogenous target gene messages and inhibit translation. Because ribozymes, unlike antisense molecules, are catalytic, a lower intracellular concentration is required for efficiency.
- Endogenous target gene expression can also be reduced by inactivating or "knocking out" the target gene or its promoter using targeted homologous recombination
- a mutant, non-functional target gene flanked by DNA homologous to the endogenous target gene (either the coding regions or regulatory regions of the target gene) can be used, with or without a selectable marker and/or a negative selectable marker, to transfect cells which express the target gene in vivo. Insertion of the DNA construct, via targeted homologous recombination, results in inactivation of the target gene.
- ES embryonic stem
- inactive target gene e.g., see Thomas and Capecchi, 1987 and Thompson, 1989, supra.
- this approach can be adapted for use in humans provided the recombinant DNA constructs are directly administered or targeted to the required site in vivo using appropriate viral vectors.
- endogenous target gene expression can be reduced by targeting deoxyribonucleotide sequences complementary to the regulatory region of the target gene (i.e., the target gene promoter and/or enhancers) to form triple helical structures which prevent transcription of the target gene in target cells in the body.
- deoxyribonucleotide sequences complementary to the regulatory region of the target gene i.e., the target gene promoter and/or enhancers
- triple helical structures which prevent transcription of the target gene in target cells in the body.
- Nucleic acid molecules to be used in triple helix formation for the inhibition of transcription should be single stranded and composed of deoxynucleotides.
- the base composition of these oligonucleotides must be designed to promote triple helix formation via Hoogsteen base pairing rules, which generally require sizable stretches of either purines or pyrimidines to be present on one strand of a duplex.
- Nucleic acids may be pyrimidine-based, which will result in TAT and CGC + triplets across the three associated strands of the resulting triple helix.
- the pyrimidine-rich molecules provide base complementarity to a purine-rich region of a single strand of the duplex in a parallel orientation to that strand.
- nucleic acid molecules may be chosen which are purine-rich, for example, contain a stretch of G residues. These molecules will form a triple helix with a DNA duplex that is rich in GC pairs, in which the majority of the purine residues are located on a single strand of the targeted duplex, resulting in GGC triplets across the three strands in the triplex.
- the potential sequences that can be targeted for triple helix formation may be increased by creating a so-called "switchback" nucleic acid molecule.
- Switchback molecules are synthesized in an alternating 5 -3', 3'-5' manner, such that they base pair with first one strand of a duplex and then the other, eliminating the necessity for a sizable stretch of either purines or pyrimidines to be present on one strand of a duplex.
- the technique may so efficiently reduce or inhibit the transcription (triple helix) and/or translation (antisense, ribozyme) of mRNA produced by normal target gene alleles which the possibility may arise wherein the concentration of normal target gene product present may be lower than is necessary for a normal phenotype.
- nucleic acid molecules which encode and express target gene polypeptides exhibiting normal target gene activity may, be introduced into cells via gene therapy methods such as those described, below, in Section 5.4.1.3 which do not contain sequences susceptible to whatever antisense, ribozyme, or triple helix treatments are being utilized.
- the target gene encodes an extracellular protein, it may be preferable to co-administer normal target gene protein in order to maintain the requisite level of target gene activity.
- Anti-sense RNA and DNA, ribozyme, and triple helix molecules of the invention may be prepared by any method known in the art for the synthesis of DNA and
- RNA molecules as discussed above. These include techniques for chemically synthesizing oligodeoxyribonucleotides and oligoribonucleotides well known in the art such as for example solid-phase phosphoramidite chemical synthesis.
- RNA molecules may be generated by in vitro and in vivo transcription of DNA sequences encoding the antisense RNA molecule. Such DNA sequences may be incorporated into a wide variety of vectors that incorporate suitable RNA polymerase promoters such as the T7 or SP6 polymerase promoters.
- antisense cDNA constructs that synthesize antisense RNA constitutively or inducibly, depending on the promoter used, can be introduced stably into cell lines. 5.4.1.3 Gene Replacement Therapy
- Protective nucleic acid sequences described above in Section 5.1, can be utilized for transferring recombinant protective nucleic acid sequences to cells and expressing said sequences in recipient cells. Such techniques can be used, for example, in marking cells or for the treatment of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death. Such treatment can be in the form of gene replacement therapy. Specifically, one or more copies of a normal protective sequence or a portion of the protective sequence which directs the production of a protective sequence product exhibiting normal protective sequence function, may be inserted into the appropriate cells within a patient, using vectors which include, but are not limited to adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and retrovirus vectors, in addition to other particles which introduce DNA into cells, such as liposomes.
- the protective sequence of the invention may be expressed in the brain, such gene replacement therapy techniques should be capable of delivering protective sequences to these cell types within patients.
- techniques which are well known to those of skill in the art can be used to enable protective sequences to cross the blood-brain barrier readily and to deliver the sequences to cells in the brain.
- viral vectors such as, for example, those described above, are preferable.
- techniques for delivery involve direct administration, e.g., by stereotactic delivery of such protective sequences to the site of the cells in which the protective sequences are to be expressed.
- the nucleic acid is directly administered in vivo into a target cell or a transgenic mouse that expresses SP-10 promoter operably linked to a reporter gene.
- This can be accomplished by any methods known in the art, e.g., by constructing it as part of an appropriate nucleic acid expression vector and administering it so that it becomes intracellular, e.g., by infection using a defective or attenuated retro viral or other viral vector (see U.S. Patent No.
- a nucleic acid-ligand complex can be formed in which the ligand comprises a fusogenic viral peptide to disrupt endosomes, allowing the nucleic acid to avoid lysosomal degradation.
- the nucleic acid can be targeted in vivo for cell specific uptake and expression, by targeting a specific receptor (see, e.g., PCT Publications WO 92/06180 dated April 16, 1992; WO 92/22635 dated December 23, 1992; WO92/20316 dated November 26, 1992; WO93/14188 dated July 22, 1993; WO 93/20221 dated October 14, 1993).
- Additional methods which may be utilized to increase the overall level of protective sequence expression and/or gene product activity include using targeted homologous recombination methods, discussed in Section 5.2, above, to modify the expression characteristics of an endogenous protective sequence in a cell or microorganism by inserting a heterologous DNA regulatory element such that the inserted regulatory element is operatively linked with the endogenous protective sequence in question.
- Targeted homologous recombination can thus be used to activate transcription of an endogenous protective sequence which is "transcriptionally silent", i.e., is not normally expressed or is normally expressed at very low levels, or to enhance the expression of an endogenous protective sequence which is normally expressed.
- the overall level of protective sequence expression and/or gene product activity may be increased by the introduction of appropriate protective sequence- expressing cells, preferably autologous cells, into a patient at positions and in numbers which are sufficient to ameliorate the symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- appropriate protective sequence- expressing cells preferably autologous cells
- Such cells may be either recombinant or non-recombinant.
- cells that can be administered to increase the overall level of protective sequence expression in a patient are normal cells, preferably brain cells, which express the protective sequence.
- cells preferably autologous cells, can be engineered to express protective sequences, and may then be introduced into a patient in positions appropriate for the amelioration of the symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- cells which express an unimpaired protective sequence and which are from a MHC matched individual can be utilized, and may include, for example, brain cells.
- the expression of the protective sequences is controlled by the appropriate gene regulatory sequences to allow such expression in the necessary cell types.
- gene regulatory sequences are well known to the skilled artisan.
- Such cell-based gene therapy techniques are well known to those skilled in the art, see, e.g., Anderson, U.S. Patent No.
- the cells to be administered are non-autologous cells, they can be administered using well-known techniques that prevent a host immune response against the introduced cells from developing.
- the cells may be introduced in an encapsulated form that, while allowing for an exchange of components with the immediate extracellular environment, does not allow the introduced cells to be recognized by the host immune system.
- compounds such as those identified via techniques such as those described, in Section 5.4.2, which are capable of modulating protective sequences, protective sequence product activity, or their regulatory sequences can be administered using standard techniques which are well known to those of skill in the art.
- the administration techniques should include well known methods that allow for a crossing of the blood-brain barrier. 5.4.1.4 Detection of Protective Nucleic Acid Molecules
- a variety of methods can be employed to screen for the presence of protective sequence-specific mutations or polymorphisms (including polymorphisms flanking protective sequences) and to detect and/or assay levels of protective nucleic acid sequences.
- Mutations or polymorphisms within or flanking the protective sequences can be detected by utilizing a number of techniques. Nucleic acid from any nucleated cell can be used as the starting point for such assay techniques, and may be isolated according to standard nucleic acid preparation procedures that are well known to those of skill in the art.
- Protective nucleic acid sequences may be used in hybridization or amplification assays of biological samples to detect abnormalities involving protective sequence structure, including point mutations, insertions, deletions, inversions, translocations and chromosomal reanangements.
- Such assays may include, but are not limited to, Southern analyses, single-stranded conformational polymorphism analyses (SSCP) and PCR analyses.
- Diagnostic methods for the detection of protective sequence-specific mutations or polymorphisms can involve for example, contacting and incubating nucleic acids obtained from a sample, e.g., derived from a patient sample or other appropriate cellular source with one or more labeled nucleic acid reagents including recombinant DNA molecules, cloned genes or degenerate variants thereof, such as described in Section 5.1, above, under conditions favorable for the specific annealing of these reagents to their complementary sequences within or flanking the protective sequence.
- the diagnostic methods of the present invention further encompass contacting and incubating nucleic acids for the detection of single nucleotide mutations or polymorphisms of the protective sequence.
- these nucleic acid reagent sequences within the protective sequence are 15 to 30 nucleotides in length.
- nucleic acid from the cell type or tissue of interest can be immobilized, for example, to a solid support such as a membrane, or a plastic surface such as that on a microtiter plate or polystyrene beads.
- a solid support such as a membrane, or a plastic surface such as that on a microtiter plate or polystyrene beads.
- non-annealed, labeled nucleic acid reagents of the type described in Section 5.1 are easily removed. Detection of the remaining, annealed, labeled nucleic acid reagents is accomplished using standard techniques well known to those skilled in the art.
- protective sequences of the invention to which the nucleic acid reagents have annealed can be compared to the annealing pattern expected from a normal protective sequence of the invention in order to determine whether a protective sequence mutation is present.
- protective sequence mutations or polymorphisms can be detected by using a microassay of nucleic acid sequences of the invention immobilized to a substrate or "gene chip" (see, e.g. Cronin, et al., 1996, Human Mutation 7:244-255).
- Alternative diagnostic methods for the detection of protective sequence-specific nucleic acid molecules (or flanking sequences), in patient samples or other appropriate cell sources may involve their amplification, e.g., by PCR (the experimental embodiment set forth in Mullis,
- nucleic acid sequences which are prefened for such amplification- related analyses are those which will detect the presence of a polymorphism which differs from the sequence depicted in the Figures.
- polymorphisms include ones that represent mutations associated with a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- genotyping techniques can be performed to identify individuals carrying protective sequence mutations. Such techniques include, for example, the use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), which involve sequence variations in one of the recognition sites for the specific restriction enzyme used. Further, improved methods for analyzing DNA polymorphisms, which can be utilized for the identification of protective sequence-specific mutations, have been described which capitalize on the presence of variable numbers of short, tandemly repeated DNA sequences between the restriction enzyme sites. For example, Weber (U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,217) describes a DNA marker based on length polymorphisms in blocks of (dC-dA)n- (dG-dT)n short tandem repeats.
- the average separation of (dC-dA)n-(dG-dT)n blocks is estimated to be 30,000-60,000 bp. Markers which are so closely spaced exhibit a high frequency of co-inheritance, and are extremely useful in the identification of genetic mutations, such as, for example, mutations within the protective sequence of the invention, and the diagnosis of diseases and disorders related to mutations of the protective sequences of the invention.
- Caskey et al. U.S. Pat.No. 5,364,759 describe a DNA profiling assay for detecting short tri- and tetra nucleotide repeat sequences. The process includes extracting the DNA of interest, amplifying the extracted DNA and labeling the repeat sequences to form a genotypic map of the individual's DNA.
- SNPs single nucleotide polymorphisms
- Conventional techniques for detecting SNPs include, e.g., conventional dot blot analysis, single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis (see, e.g., Orita et al., 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:2166-2110), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), heteroduplex analysis, mismatch cleavage detection and other routine techniques well known in the art
- prefened methods of detecting and mapping SNPs involve microsequencing techniques wherein an SNP site in a target DNA is detecting by a single nucleotide primer extension reaction (see, e.g., Goelet et al, PCT Publication No. WO92/15712; Mundy, U.S. Patent No. 4,656,127; Vary and Diamond, U.S. Patent No.
- the level of protective sequence expression also can be assayed.
- RNA from a cell type or tissue known, or suspected, to express the protective sequence, such as brain may be isolated and tested utilizing hybridization or PCR techniques such as are described, above.
- the isolated cells can be derived from cell culture or from a patient.
- the analysis of cells taken from culture may be a necessary step in the assessment of cells to be used as part of a cell-based gene therapy technique or, alternatively, to test the effect of compounds on the expression of the protective sequence.
- analyses may reveal both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the expression pattern of the protective sequence, including activation or inactivation of protective sequence expression.
- nucleic acid reagents such as those described in Section 5.1 may be used as probes and/or primers for such in situ procedures (see, for example, Nuovo, G.J., 1992, “PCR In Situ Hybridization: Protocols And Applications", Raven Press, NY).
- In vitro immunoassays may also be used, for example, to assess the efficacy of cell-based gene therapy for a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- Antibodies directed against protective sequence products may be used in vitro to determine, for example, the level of protective sequence expression achieved in cells genetically engineered to produce the protective sequence product.
- intracellular protective sequence products such an assessment is done, preferably, using cell lysates or extracts. Such analysis will allow for a determination of the number of transformed cells necessary to achieve therapeutic efficacy in vivo, as well as optimization of the gene replacement protocol.
- the analysis of cells taken from culture may be a necessary step in the assessment of cells to be used as part of a cell-based gene therapy technique or, alternatively, to test the effect of compounds on the expression of the protective sequence.
- Prefened diagnostic methods for the detection of protective sequence products, conserved variants or peptide fragments thereof may involve, for example, immunoassays wherein the protective sequence products or conserved variants or peptide fragments are detected by their interaction with an anti-protective sequence product-specific antibody.
- antibodies, or fragments of antibodies may be used to, quantitatively or qualitatively, detect the presence of protective sequence products or conserved variants or peptide fragments thereof.
- This can be accomplished, for example, by immunofluorescence techniques employing a fluorescently labeled antibody (see below, this Section) coupled with light microscopic, flow cytometric or fluorimetric detection. Such techniques are especially prefened for protective sequence products that are expressed on the cell surface.
- the antibodies (or fragments thereof) useful in the present invention may, additionally, be employed histologically, as in immunofluorescence or immunoelectron microscopy, for in situ detection of protective sequence products, conserved variants or peptide fragments thereof.
- Immunoassays for protective sequence products, conserved variants or peptide fragments thereof will typically comprise incubating a sample, such as a biological fluid, a tissue extract, freshly harvested cells or lysates of cells in the presence of a detectably labeled antibody capable of identifying the protective sequence product, conserved variants or peptide fragments thereof, and detecting the bound antibody by any of a number of techniques well- known in the art.
- a sample such as a biological fluid, a tissue extract, freshly harvested cells or lysates of cells
- the biological sample may be brought in contact with and immobilized onto a solid phase support or carrier, such as nitrocellulose, which is capable of immobilizing cells, cell particles or soluble proteins.
- a solid phase support or carrier such as nitrocellulose, which is capable of immobilizing cells, cell particles or soluble proteins.
- the support may then be washed with suitable buffers followed by treatment with the detectably labeled protective sequence product specific antibody.
- the solid phase support may then be washed with the buffer a second time to remove unbound antibody.
- the amount of bound label on the solid support may then be detected by conventional means.
- solid phase support or carrier is intended any support capable of binding an antigen or an antibody.
- Well-known supports or carriers include glass, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, dextran, nylon, amylases, natural and modified celluloses, polyacrylamides, gabbros, and magnetite.
- the nature of the carrier can be either soluble to some extent or insoluble for the purposes of the present invention.
- the support material may have virtually any possible structural configuration so long as the coupled molecule is capable of binding to an antigen or antibody.
- the support configuration may be spherical, as in a bead, or cylindrical, as in the inside surface of a test tube, or the external surface of a rod.
- the surface may be flat such as a sheet, test strip, etc.
- Prefened supports include polystyrene beads.
- the protective sequence product-specific antibody can be detectably labeled is by linking the same to an enzyme, such as for use in an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (Noller, A., "The Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)", 1978, Diagnostic Horizons 2: 1-7, Microbiological Associates Quarterly Publication,
- EIA enzyme immunoassay
- ELISA Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- the enzyme that is bound to the antibody will react with an appropriate substrate, preferably a chromogenic substrate, in such a manner as to produce a chemical moiety which can be detected, for example, by spectrophotometric, fluorimetric or by visual means.
- the detection can be accomplished by colorimetric methods that employ a chromogenic substrate for the enzyme. Detection also may be accomplished by visual comparison of the extent of enzymatic reaction of a substrate in comparison with similarly prepared standards. Detection may be accomplished also using any of a variety of other immunoassays. For example, by radioactively labeling the antibodies or antibody fragments, it is possible to detect protective sequence products through the use of a radioimmunoassay (RIA) (see, for example, Weintraub, B., Principles of Radioimmunoassays, Seventh Training Course on Radioligand Assay Techniques, The Endocrine Society, March, 1986). The radioactive isotope can be detected by such means as the use of a gamma counter or a scintillation counter or by autoradiography.
- RIA radioimmunoassay
- fluorescent labeling compounds fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, o-phthaldehyde and fluorescamine.
- the antibody can also be detectably labeled using fluorescence emitting metals such as 152 Eu, or others of the lanthanide series. These metals can be attached to the antibody using such metal chelating groups as diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid (DTP A) or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).
- DTP A diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid
- EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- the antibody also can be detectably labeled by coupling it to a chemiluminescent compound.
- the presence of the chemiluminescent-tagged antibody is then determined by detecting the presence of luminescence that. arises during the course of a chemical reaction.
- chemiluminescent labeling compounds are luminol, isoluminol, theromatic acridinium ester, imidazole, acridinium salt and oxalate ester.
- a bioluminescent compound may be used to label the antibody of the present invention.
- Bioluminescence is a type of chemiluminescence found in biological systems in which a catalytic protein increases the efficiency of the chemiluminescent reaction.
- the presence of a bioluminescent protein is determined by detecting the presence of luminescence.
- Important bioluminescent compounds for purposes of labeling are luciferin, luciferase and aequorin.
- the following assays are designed to identify compounds which bind to a protective sequence product, compounds which bind to proteins, or portions of proteins which interact with a protective sequence product, compounds which modulate, e.g., interfere with, the interaction of a protective sequence product with proteins and compounds which modulate the activity of the protective sequence (i.e., modulate the level of protective sequence expression and or modulate the level of protective sequence product activity).
- Assays may additionally be utilized which identify compounds which bind to protective sequence regulatory sequences (e.g., promoter sequences; see e.g., Platt, 1994, J. Biol. Chem. 269, 28558-28562), and which can modulate the level of protective sequence expression.
- Such compounds may include, but are not limited to, small organic molecules, such as ones which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, gain to and/or entry into an appropriate cell and affect expression of the protective sequence or some other gene involved in a protective sequence regulatory pathway.
- Such proteins may be involved in the control and/or regulation of functions related to cell death. Further, among these compounds are compounds which affect the level of protective sequence expression and/or protective sequence product activity and which can be used in the therapeutic treatment of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death as described, below, in Section 5.4.2.3.
- Such compounds may further comprise compounds, in particular drugs or members of classes or families of drugs, known to ameliorate the symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- Such compounds include families of antidepressants such as lithium salts, carbamazepine, valproic acid, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), p-chlorophenylalanine, p- propyldopacetamide dithiocarbamate derivatives e.g., FLA 63; anti-anxiety drugs, e.g., diazepam; monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, e.g., iproniazid, clorgyline, phenelzine and isocarboxazid; biogenic amine uptake blockers, e.g., tricyclic antidepressants such as desipramine, imipramine and amitriptyline; serotonin reuptake inhibitors e.g., fluoxetine; antipsychotic drugs such as phenothiazine derivatives (e.g., chlorpromazine (thorazine) and trifluopromazine)),
- In vitro systems may be designed to identify compounds capable of binding the protective sequence products of the invention.
- Compounds identified may be useful, for example, in modulating the activity of unimpaired and/or mutant protective sequence products, may be useful in elaborating the biological function of the protective sequence product, may be utilized in screens for identifying compounds which disrupt normal protective sequence product interactions or may in themselves disrupt such interactions.
- the principle of the assays used to identify compounds which bind to the protective sequence product involves preparing a reaction mixture of the protective sequence product and the test compound under conditions and for a time sufficient to allow the two components to interact and bind, thus forming a complex which can be removed and/or detected in the reaction mixture.
- These assays can be conducted in a variety of ways. For example, one method to conduct such an assay involves anchoring a protective sequence product or a test substance onto a solid support and detecting protective sequence product/test compound complexes formed on the solid support at the end of the reaction.
- the protective sequence product may be anchored onto a solid support, and the test compound, which is not anchored, may be labeled, either directly or indirectly.
- microtiter plates are conveniently utilized as the solid support.
- the anchored component may be immobilized by non-covalent or covalent attachments. Non-covalent attachment may be accomplished by simply coating the solid surface with a solution of the protein and drying. Alternatively, an immobilized antibody, preferably a monoclonal antibody, specific for the protein to be immobilized may be used to anchor the protein to the solid surface. The surfaces may be prepared in advance and stored.
- the non-immobilized component is added to the coated surface containing the anchored component. After the reaction is complete, unreacted components are removed (e.g., by washing) under conditions such that any complexes formed will remain immobilized on the solid surface.
- the detection of complexes anchored on the solid surface can be accomplished in a number of ways. Where the previously non- immobilized component is pre-labeled, the detection of label immobilized on the surface indicates that complexes were formed.
- an indirect label can be used to detect complexes anchored on the surface; e.g., using a labeled antibody specific for the previously non-immobilized component (the antibody, in turn, may be directly labeled or indirectly labeled with a labeled anti-Ig antibody).
- a reaction can be conducted in a liquid phase, the reaction products separated from unreacted components, and complexes detected; e.g., using an immobilized antibody specific for the protective sequence product or the test compound to anchor any complexes formed in solution, and a labeled antibody specific for the other component of the possible complex to detect anchored complexes.
- such a protein can be identified and can be used in conjunction with standard techniques, to identify proteins it interacts with. For example, at least a portion of the amino acid sequence of a protein which interacts with the protective sequence product can be ascertained using techniques well known to those of skill in the art, such as via the Edman degradation technique (see, e.g., Creighton, 1983, "Proteins: Structures and Molecular
- the amino acid sequence obtained may be used as a guide for the generation of oligonucleotide mixtures that can be used to screen for gene sequences encoding such proteins. Screening may be accomplished, for example, by standard hybridization or PCR techniques. Techniques for the generation of oligonucleotide mixtures and the screening are well known. (See, e.g., Ausubel, supra, and 1990, "PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications,” Innis, et al, eds. Academic Press, Inc., New York).
- methods may be employed which result in the simultaneous identification of genes that encode a protein that interacts with a protective sequence product. These methods include, for example, probing expression libraries with labeled protective sequence product, using the protective sequence product in a manner similar to the well- known technique of antibody probing of lgtll libraries.
- plasmids are constructed which encode two hybrid proteins: one consists of the DNA-binding domain of a transcription activator protein fused to the protective sequence product and the other consists of the transcription activator protein's activation domain fused to an unknown protein which is encoded by a cDNA which has been recombined into this plasmid as part of a cDNA library.
- the DNA-binding domain fusion plasmid and the cDNA library are transformed into a strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that contains a reporter gene (e.g., HBS or lacZ) whose regulatory region contains the transcription activator's binding site.
- a reporter gene e.g., HBS or lacZ
- the DNA-binding domain hybrid cannot because it does not provide activation function and the activation domain hybrid cannot because it cannot localize to the activator's binding sites. Interaction of the two hybrid proteins reconstitutes the functional activator protein and results in expression of the reporter gene, which is detected by an assay for the reporter gene product.
- the two-hybrid system or related methodologies may be used to screen activation domain libraries for proteins that interact with the "bait" gene product.
- protective sequence products of the invention may be used as the bait gene product. Total genomic or cDNA sequences are fused to the DNA encoding an activation domain.
- This library and a plasmid encoding a hybrid of a bait protective sequence product fused to the DNA-binding domain are co-transformed into a yeast reporter strain, and the resulting transformants are screened for those which express the reporter gene.
- a bait protective sequence such as the open reading frame of the gene, can be cloned into a vector such that it is translationally fused to the DNA encoding the DNA-binding domain of the GAL4 protein.
- a cDNA library of the cell line, from which proteins which interact with bait protective sequence products are to be detected, can be made using methods routinely practiced in the art.
- the cDNA fragments can be inserted into a vector such that they are translationally fused to the transcriptional activation domain of GAL4.
- Such a library can be co-transformed along with the bait protective sequence-GAL4 fusion plasmid into a yeast strain that contains a lacZ gene driven by a promoter that contains GAL4 activation sequence.
- a cDNA encoded protein, fused to a GAL4 transcriptional activation domain that interacts with bait protective sequence product will reconstitute an active GAL4 protein and thereby drive expression of the MS3 gene.
- Colonies that express HJ.S3 can be detected by their growth on petri dishes containing semi-solid agar based media lacking histidine. The cDNA can then be purified from these strains, and used to produce and isolate the bait protective sequence product-interacting protein using techniques routinely practiced in the art.
- the protective sequence products may, in vivo, interact with one or more macromolecules, including intracellular macromolecules, such as proteins.
- macromolecules may include, but are not limited to, nucleic acid molecules and those proteins identified via methods such as those described, above, in Sections 5.4.2.1 - 5.4.2.2.
- binding partners Compounds that disrupt protective sequence product binding to a binding partner may be useful in regulating the activity of the protective sequence product, especially mutant protective sequence products.
- Such compounds may include, but are not limited to molecules such as peptides, and the like, as described, for example, in Section 5.4.2.1 above.
- the basic principle of an assay system used to identify compounds which interfere with or potentiate the interaction between the protective sequence product and a binding partner or partners involves preparing a reaction mixture containing the protective sequence product and the binding partner under conditions and for a time sufficient to allow the two to interact and bind, thus forming a complex.
- the reaction mixture is prepared in the presence and absence of the test compound.
- the test compound may be initially included in the reaction mixture, or may be added at a time subsequent to the addition of protective sequence product and its binding partner. Control reaction mixtures are incubated without the test compound or with a compound that is known not to block complex formation. The formation of any complexes between the protective sequence product and the binding partner is then detected.
- reaction mixtures containing the test compound and normal protective sequence product also may be compared to complex formation within reaction mixtures containing the test compound and a mutant protective sequence product. This comparison may be important in those cases wherein it is desirable to identify compounds that disrupt interactions of mutant but not normal protective sequence product.
- the reaction mixture is prepared in the presence and absence of the test compound. The test compound may be initially included in the reaction mixture, or may be added at a time subsequent to the addition of protective sequence product and its binding partner.
- Control reaction mixtures are incubated without the test compound or with a compound that is known not to block complex formation. The formation of any complexes between the protective sequence product and the binding partner is then detected. Increased formation of a complex in the reaction mixture containing the test compound, but not in the control reaction, indicates that the compound enhances and therefore potentiates the interaction of the protective sequence product and the binding partner. Additionally, complex formation within reaction mixtures containing the test compound and normal protective sequence product may also be compared to complex formation within reaction mixtures containing the test compound and a mutant protective sequence product. This comparison may be important in those cases wherein it is desirable to identify compounds that enhance interactions of mutant but not normal protective sequence product.
- the above assays may be performed using a reaction mixture containing the protective sequence product, a binding partner and a third compound which disrupts or enhances protective sequence product binding to the binding partner.
- the reaction mixture is prepared and incubated in the presence and absence of the test compound, as described above, and the formation of any complexes between the protective sequence product and the binding partner is detected.
- the formation of a complex in the reaction mixture containing the test compound, but not in the control reaction indicates that the test compound interferes with the ability of the second compound to disrupt protective sequence product binding to its binding partner.
- the assays for compounds that interfere with or potentiate the interaction of the protective sequence products and binding partners can be conducted in a heterogeneous or homogeneous format.
- Heterogeneous assays involve anchoring either the protective sequence product or the binding partner onto a solid support and detecting complexes formed on the solid support at the end of the reaction.
- homogeneous assays the entire reaction is carried out in a liquid phase. In either approach, the order of addition of reactants can be varied to obtain different information abo ⁇ t the compounds being tested.
- test compounds which interfere with or potentiate the interaction between the protective sequence products and the binding partners can be identified by conducting the reaction in the presence of the test substance; i.e., by adding the test substance to the reaction mixture prior to or simultaneously with the protective sequence product and interactive intracellular binding partner.
- test compounds which disrupt preformed complexes e.g., compounds with higher binding constants which displace one of the components from the complex, can be tested by adding the test compound to the reaction mixture after complexes have been formed.
- the various formats are described briefly below.
- either the protective sequence product or the interactive binding partner is anchored onto a solid surface, while the non-anchored species is labeled, either directly or indirectly.
- the anchored species may be immobilized by non-covalent or covalent attachments. Non- covalent attachment may be accomplished simply by coating the solid surface with a solution of the protective sequence product or binding partner and drying. Alternatively, an immobilized antibody specific for the species to be anchored may be used to anchor the species to the solid surface. The surfaces may be prepared in advance and stored.
- the partner of the immobilized species is exposed to the coated surface with or without the test compound. After the reaction is complete, unreacted components are removed (e.g., by washing) and any complexes formed will remain immobilized on the solid surface.
- the detection of complexes anchored on the solid surface can be accomplished in a number of ways. Where the non-immobilized species is pre-labeled, the detection of label immobilized on the surface indicates that complexes were formed.
- an indirect label can be used to detect complexes anchored on the surface; e.g., using a labeled antibody specific for the initially non-immobilized species (the antibody, in turn, may be directly labeled or indirectly labeled with a labeled anti-Ig antibody).
- the antibody in turn, may be directly labeled or indirectly labeled with a labeled anti-Ig antibody.
- test compounds which inhibit complex formation or which disrupt preformed complexes can be detected.
- a preformed complex of the protective sequence product and the interactive binding partner is prepared in which either the protective sequence product or its binding partners is labeled, but the signal generated by the label is quenched due to complex formation (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 4,109,496 by Rubenstein which utilizes this approach for immunoassays).
- the addition of a test substance that competes with and displaces one of the species from the preformed complex will result in the generation of a signal above background. In this way, test substances that disrupt protective sequence product/binding partner interaction can be identified.
- these same techniques can be employed using peptide fragments which correspond to the binding domains of the protective sequence product and/or the binding partner (in cases where the binding partner is a protein), in place of one or both of the full length proteins.
- Any number of methods routinely practiced in the art can be used to identify and isolate the binding sites. These methods include, but are not limited to, mutagenesis of the gene encoding one of the proteins and screening for disruption of binding in a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Compensating mutations in the gene encoding the second species in the complex can then be selected.
- Sequence analysis of the genes encoding the respective proteins will reveal the mutations that conespond to the region of the protein involved in interactive binding.
- one protein can be anchored to a solid surface using methods described in this Section above, and allowed to interact with and bind to its labeled binding partner, which has been treated with a proteolytic enzyme, such as trypsin. After washing, a short, labeled peptide comprising the binding domain may remain associated with the solid material, which can be isolated and identified by amino acid sequencing. Also, once the gene coding for the segments is engineered to express peptide fragments of the protein, it can then be tested for binding activity and purified or synthesized.
- Compounds including, but not limited to, binding compounds identified via assay techniques such as those described, above, in Sections 5.4.2.1 - 5.4.2.3, can be tested for the ability to ameliorate symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- the assays described herein can be used to identify compounds which affect activity by either affecting protective sequence expression or by affecting the level of protective sequence product activity.
- compounds may be identified which are involved in another step in the pathway in which the protective sequence and/or protective sequence product is involved, such as, for example, a step which is either "upstream” or "downstream” of the step in the pathway mediated by the protective sequence.
- Such compounds may, by affecting this same pathway, modulate the effect on the development of conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death.
- Such compounds can be used as part of a therapeutic method for the treatment of the condition, disorder, or disease.
- Described below are cell-based and animal model-based assays for the identification of compounds exhibiting such an ability to ameliorate symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death.
- cell-based systems can be used to identify compounds which may act to ameliorate symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease, including, but not limited to, those described in Section 5.4.1.1.
- Such cell systems can include, for example, recombinant or non-recombinant cell, such as cell lines, which express the protective sequence of interest.
- cells which express the protective sequence of interest may be exposed to a compound suspected of exhibiting an ability to ameliorate symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death at a sufficient concentration and for a sufficient time to elicit such an amelioration of such symptoms in the exposed cells.
- the cells can be assayed to measure alterations in the expression of the protective sequence, e.g., by assaying cell lysates for cerebral mRNA transcripts (e.g., by Northern analysis) or for protective sequence products expressed by the cell; compounds which modulate expression of the protective sequence are good candidates as therapeutics.
- the protective sequence e.g., by assaying cell lysates for cerebral mRNA transcripts (e.g., by Northern analysis) or for protective sequence products expressed by the cell; compounds which modulate expression of the protective sequence are good candidates as therapeutics.
- animal-based systems or models for a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death may be used to identify compounds capable of ameliorating symptoms of the condition, disorder, or disease.
- Such animal models may be used as test substrates for the identification of drugs, pharmaceuticals, therapies and interventions.
- animal models may be exposed to a compound suspected of exhibiting an ability to ameliorate symptoms, at a sufficient concentration and for a sufficient time to elicit such an amelioration of symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death. The response of the animals to the exposure may be monitored by assessing the reversal of the symptoms of the condition, disorder, or disease.
- any treatments that reverse any aspect of symptoms of a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death, should be considered as candidates for human therapeutic intervention in such conditions, disorders, or diseases.
- Dosages of test agents may be determined by deriving dose-response curves, as discussed in
- the polynucleotides of the present invention can be used for various other purposes.
- they can be used to express recombinant protein for analysis, characterization or therapeutic use; as molecular weight markers on gels; as chromosome markers or tags (when labeled) to identify chromosomes or to map related gene positions; to compare with endogenous DNA sequences in patients to identify potential genetic conditions, disorders, or diseases; as probes to hybridize and thus discover novel, related DNA sequences; as a source of information to derive PCR primers for genetic fingerprinting; as a probe to "subtract-out" known sequences in the process of discovering other novel polynucleotides; to raise anti-protein antibodies using DNA immunization techniques; and as an antigen to raise anti -DNA antibodies or elicit another immune response.
- the proteins provided by the present invention can similarly be used to raise antibodies or to elicit another immune response; as a reagent (including the labeled reagent) in assays designed to quantitatively determine levels of the protein (or its receptor) in biological fluids; as markers for tissues in which the conesponding protein is preferentially expressed (either constitutively or at a particular stage of tissue differentiation or development or in a disease state); and, of course, to isolate correlative receptors or ligands.
- the protein binds or potentially binds to another protein (such as, for example, in a receptor-ligand interaction)
- the protein can be used to identify the other protein with which binding occurs or to identify inhibitors of the binding interaction. Proteins involved in these binding interactions can also be used to screen for peptide or small molecule inhibitors or agonists of the binding interaction.
- the compounds which are determined to affect protective sequence expression or gene product activity can be administered to a patient at therapeutically effective doses to treat or ameliorate a condition, disorder, or disease involving cell death or modulate a cell death-related process described herein.
- a therapeutically effective dose refers to that amount of the compound sufficient to result in amelioration of symptoms of such a condition, disorder, or disease.
- Toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of such compounds can be determined by standard pharmaceutical procedures in cell cultures or experimental animals, e.g., for determining the LD 50 (the dose lethal to 50% of the population) and the ED 50 (the dose therapeutically effective in 50% of the population).
- the dose ratio between toxic and therapeutic effects is the therapeutic index and it can be expressed as the ratio LD 50 ED 50 .
- Compounds that exhibit large therapeutic indices are preferred. While compounds which exhibit toxic side effects may be used, care should be taken to design a delivery system which targets such compounds to the site of affected tissue in order to minimize potential damage to uninf ected cells and, thereby, reduce side effects.
- the data obtained from the cell culture assays and animal studies can be used in formulating a range of dosage for use in humans.
- the dosage of such compounds lies preferably within a range of circulating concentrations that include the ED 50 with little or no toxicity.
- the dosage may vary within this range depending upon the dosage form employed and the route of administration utilized.
- the therapeutically effective dose can be estimated initially from cell culture assays.
- a dose may be formulated in animal models to achieve a circulating plasma concentration range which includes the IC 50 (i.e., the concentration of the test compound which achieves a half-maximal inhibition of symptoms) as determined in cell culture.
- IC 50 i.e., the concentration of the test compound which achieves a half-maximal inhibition of symptoms
- levels in plasma may be measured, for example, by high performance liquid chromatography.
- treatment of a subject with a therapeutically effective amount of a protein, polypeptide, or antibody can include a single treatment or, preferably, can include a series of treatments.
- a subject is treated with antibody, protein, or polypeptide in the range of between about 0.1 to 20 mg/kg body weight, one time per week for between about 1 to 10 weeks, preferably between 2 to 8 weeks, more preferably between about 3 to 7 weeks, and even more preferably for about 4, 5, or 6 weeks.
- the effective dosage of antibody, protein, or polypeptide used for treatment may increase or decrease over the course of a particular treatment. Changes in dosage may result and become apparent from the results of diagnostic assays as described herein.
- compositions for use in accordance with the present invention may be formulated in conventional manner using one or more physiologically acceptable carriers or excipients.
- the compounds and their physiologically acceptable salts and solvates may be formulated for administration by inhalation or insufflation (either through the mouth or the nose) or oral, buccal, parenteral rectal or topical administration.
- the pharmaceutical compositions may take the form of, for example, tablets or capsules prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients such as binding agents (e.g., pregelatinised maize starch, polyvinylpynolidone or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose); fillers (e.g., lactose, microcrystalline cellulose or calcium hydrogen phosphate); lubricants (e.g., magnesium stearate, talc or silica); disintegrants (e.g., potato starch or sodium starch glycolate); or wetting agents (e.g., sodium lauryl sulphate).
- binding agents e.g., pregelatinised maize starch, polyvinylpynolidone or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
- fillers e.g., lactose, microcrystalline cellulose or calcium hydrogen phosphate
- lubricants e.g., magnesium stearate, talc or silica
- disintegrants e.g., potato
- Liquid preparations for oral administration may take the form of, for example, solutions, syrups or suspensions, or they may be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use.
- Such liquid preparations may be prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agents (e.g., sorbitol syrup, cellulose derivatives or hydrogenated edible fats); emulsifying agents (e.g., lecithin or acacia); non-aqueous vehicles (e.g., almond oil, oily esters, ethyl alcohol or fractionated vegetable oils); and preservatives (e.g., methyl or propyl- p-hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid).
- the preparations may also contain buffer salts, flavoring, coloring and sweetening agents as appropriate.
- Preparations for oral administration may be suitably formulated to give controlled release of the active compound.
- the compounds may be formulated for parenteral administration by injection, e.g., by bolus injection or continuous infusion.
- Formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form, e.g., in ampoules or in multi-dose containers, with an added preservative.
- the compositions may take such forms as suspensions, solutions or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles, and may contain formulatory agents such as suspending, stabilizing and/or dispersing agents.
- the active ingredient may be in powder form for constitution with a suitable vehicle, e.g., sterile pyrogen-free water, before use.
- compositions of the invention may be desirable to administer locally to the area in need of treatment.
- This may be achieved by, for example, and not by way of limitation, local infusion during surgery, topical application, e.g., in conjunction with a wound dressing after surgery, by injection, by means of a catheter, by means of a suppository, or by means of an implant, said implant being of a porous, non-porous, or gelatinous material, including membranes, such as sialastic membranes, or fibers.
- administration can be by direct injection at the site (or former site) of a malignant tumor or neoplastic or pre-neoplastic tissue.
- the compounds may be combined with a carrier so that an effective dosage is delivered, based on the desired activity.
- the compounds may also be formulated as a depot preparation. Such long acting formulations may be administered by implantation (for example subcutaneously or intramuscularly) or by intramuscular injection.
- the compounds may be formulated with suitable polymeric or hydrophobic materials (for example as an emulsion in an acceptable oil) or ion exchange resins, or as sparingly soluble derivatives, for example, as a sparingly soluble salt.
- compositions may, if desired, be presented in a pack or dispenser device that may contain one or more unit dosage forms containing the active ingredient.
- the pack may for example comprise metal or plastic foil, such as a blister pack.
- the pack or dispenser device may be accompanied by instructions for administration.
- Plasmid DNA was extracted using Promega MagneSil kits with a modified protocol. The pelleted bacteria were re-suspended and 50 ⁇ l was transfened into a round bottom plate that rests on a magnet. Cell Lysis Solution (50 ⁇ l) was added and the plate was incubated at room temperature without agitation for 30 seconds. Following lysis, 70 ⁇ l of a Neutralization Solution/MagneSil Paramagnetic Particles mixture (pre-mixed at a ratio of 6:1) was added. The reaction was mixed by pipetting and incubated at room temperature without agitation for 5 minutes to allow the magnetic particles to be drawn to the magnet.
- a Neutralization Solution/MagneSil Paramagnetic Particles mixture pre-mixed at a ratio of 6:1
- the supernatant containing plasmid DNA was then transferred to a new plate and stored at -20°C.
- Individual clones were chosen for their ability to delay or prevent cell death when introduced into a cell predisposed to undergoing cell death, relative to a conesponding cell into which no exogenous protective sequence had been introduced.
- the cDNA inserts of the clonally pure plasmids which are selected for their ability to protect cells from cell death when introduced into cells predisposed to undergo cell death are sequenced using the ABI Big Dye terminator Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit and subsequently analyzed on the ABI310 capillary sequencing machine (PE Biosystems, Foster City, CA).
- the sample is then centrifuged at 12,000 x g for 20 minutes at room temperature. The supernatant is removed and the pellet is rinsed once by addition of 250 ml of 75% isopropanol followed by centrifugation as above for 5 minutes. The supernatant is removed and the sample air-dried for 10 minutes. The sample is then resuspended in 20 ml of TSR (template suppression reagent) and denatured by heating at 94°C for 2 minutes and rapidly cooling on ice. The subsequent electrophoresis and analysis is carried out on the ABI310 sequencer according to the manufacturer's protocol. The entire cDNA clone is similarly sequenced by the use of sequence specific internal primers as required. 6.1.3 Sequence Comparison
- sequence data for the protective cDNA clones is compared using the
- BLAST 2.0 algorithm Altschul, SF et al, 1997, Nuc. Acids Res. 25:3389
- This program uses the two-hit method to find homology within the database.
- Transfected tissue is immersed in freshly prepared 2.5% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for two hours to fix the tissue.
- PFA paraformaldehyde
- PBS phosphate buffered saline
- the tissue is immersed in a blocking solution consisting of 10% goat serum, 2% bovine serum albumin (BSA), and 0.25% Triton X-100 for a duration of two hours.
- BSA bovine serum albumin
- Triton X-100 Triton X-100
- the tissue After removal of the primary antibody solution, the tissue is washed consecutively four times in PBS for 10 minutes, changing the PBS solution between each wash.
- An anti-rabbit, flourescently conjugated secondary antibody diluted in PBS at a concentration of 1:500, is then added to the tissue and allowed to incubate at room temperature for four hours.
- the secondary antibody solution is removed by aspiration and the tissue washed consecutively four times in PBS for 15 minutes, changing the PBS solution between each wash.
- the tissue After the final wash is removed, the tissue is mounted on glass slides and dried at 37°C for thirty minutes. A three-minute xylene incubation is performed before the addition of coverslips to preserve the slices.
- Protective sequence CNI-00718 (SEQ. ID NO:l) is a completely novel sequence which comprises 1794 nucleotides. Twenty-eight (28) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 2. The longest ORF is
- CNI-00718 caused about a 20-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00722 (SEQ. ID NO:58) comprises 810 nucleotides. Twelve (12) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 3. The longest ORF of the cDNA encodes 44 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00722 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals homology with the sequence encoding the human chromosome 16 BAG clone CIT987-SKA-113A6 (ACC. No. AC002299). At the nucleotide level, the overall percent homology between CNI-00722 and CIT987-SKA-113A6 is 99.6% (783/785 bases).
- CIT987-SKA-113A6 is an unidentified DNA. As shown in Figure 3F, CNI-00722 caused about a 21-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence. 6.2.3 Protective sequence CNI-00725
- Protective sequence CNI-00725 (SEQ. ID NO: 83) comprises 920 nucleotides.
- Protective sequence CNI-00726 (SEQ. ID NO: 106) comprises 2144 nucleotides. Twenty-six (26) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 5. The longest ORF of CNI-00726 encodes 147 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00726 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals a 99.7% identity (1820/1825 bases) with the human ubiquitin- conjugating enzyme variant 1, UBE2N1 (ACC No. NM_003349); a 99.6% identity (1820/1826 bases) with the human DNA-binding protein CROC-IA (ACC No.
- CNI-00726 has a 100% identity with the 80-221 amino acid region of UBE2VI; a 97% identity (136/140 amino acids) with the 31-170 amino acid region of CROC- IA; and a 90% identity (132/147 amino acids) with the human MMS2 protein.
- the enzyme UBE2N1 may be involved in controlling differentiation by affecting the distribution of cells in different phases during the cell cycle (Sancho, et al. 1998, Mol. Cell. Biol 18: 576-89).
- the protein CROC-IA is capable of transcriptionally activating the FOS promoter (Rothofsky & Lin, 1997, Gene 195: 141-9; Lin & Rothofsky, U.S. Patent No. 5,736,331). As shown in Figure 3F, CNI-00726 caused about a 19-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence. 6.2.5 Protective sequence CNI-00727
- Protective sequence CNI-00727 (SEQ. ID NO: 159) is a completely novel sequence which comprises 1293 nucleotides. Nineteen (19) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 6. The longest ORF is 54 amino acids. BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00727 against known nucleotide and protein sequences in the GenBank database reveals no significant homology at either the nucleotide or the amino acid level. As shown in Figure 3F, CNI-00727 caused about a 17- fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00728 (SEQ. ID NO: 198) comprises 1466 nucleotides. Twenty-four (24) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 7. The longest ORF is 59 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00728 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals a 99.9% identity (1342/1343 bases) with the 3' untranslated region of human sorting nexin 10 mRNA (ACC. No. AF121860).
- CNI-00728 caused about a 10-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00729 (SEQ. ID NO:247) comprises 1659 nucleotides. Twenty-two (22) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 8.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00729 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals a 99.9% identity (1611/1612 bases) with a human actin binding protein, p57 (ACC No. D44497); a 99.9% identity (1561/1562 bp) with human coronin (ACC No. X89109); and a 99.7% identity (1585/1589 bp) with human coronin-like protein, HCORO1 (ACC No. U34690).
- CNI-00729 is identical to human actin protein, p57; identical to human coronin; and 99% identical (459/461 aa) with human coronin-like protein (Suzuki, Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho Patent No. 96119996).
- the p57 protein is an actin-binding protein and a member of the coronin family of proteins.
- the coronins are proteins involved in cell locomotion, cytokinesis, and actin-mediated cellular processes such as phagocytosis (deHostos, 1999, Trends Cell Biol 9: 345-50).
- CNI-00729 caused about a 13-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00730 (SEQ. ID NO:292) comprises 722 nucleotides. Nine (9) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 9. The longest ORF of the cDNA encodes 142 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00730 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals homology with the sequence encoding human mitochondrial ATP synthase, FO complex, subunit 9 (ACC. No. NM_001689).
- the overall percent homology between CNI-00730 and human mitochondrial ATP synthase, FO complex, subunit 9 is 99.4% (651/655 bp).
- the amino acid level the CNI-00730 and human mitochondrial
- ATP synthase, FO complex, subunit 9 proteins are identical. There are three reported genes (PI, P2, and P3) that encode identical forms of mature human mitochondrial ATP synthase, FO complex, subunit 9; CNI-00730 is homologous to the P3 gene (Yan, et al. 1994, Genomics 24: 375-7). Subunit 9 accumulates in the lysosomes of individuals affected with the juvenile and late-infantile forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease) (Tanner, et al,
- CNI-00730 caused about a 14-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00731 (SEQ. ID NO:311) comprises 364 nucleotides. Seven (7) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 10. The longest ORF is 32 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00731 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals a 98.5% identity (322/326 bases) with the 3' untranslated region of human interferon- induced cellular resistance mediator protein (MxA) mRNA (ACC. No. M30817).
- MxA human interferon- induced cellular resistance mediator protein
- CNI-00731 caused about an 11-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- Protective sequence CNI-00732 (SEQ. ID NO:326) comprises 1046 nucleotides. Eight (8) potential ORFs have been identified within the protective sequence and are depicted in Table 11. The longest ORF is 50 amino acids.
- BLAST sequence comparison analysis of CNI-00732 against known nucleic acids in the GenBank database reveals a 94% identity (949/1013 bases) with a human mitochondrial sequence encoding the 12S rRNA and tRNA for the amino acid Valine (ACC. No. V00710). However, most of the homology (97%) is with the 12S rRNA sequence. As shown in Figure 3F, CNI-00732 caused about a 12-fold increase in the number of surviving neurons in stroked rat cortical brain slices compared to negative control slices which were exposed to EGFP with no protective sequence.
- CNI-NPP2-CP10 represents a composite deposit of a mixture of ten (10) DNA clones.
- a sample of the DNA preparation can be digested with Not I and Sal I, and the resulting products can be separated by standard gel electrophoresis techniques using a 1% agarose gel in TAE buffer.
- Liberated inserts are of the following approximate sizes:
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU2001251507A AU2001251507A1 (en) | 2000-04-11 | 2001-04-09 | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US54759600A | 2000-04-11 | 2000-04-11 | |
US09/547,596 | 2000-04-11 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2001076532A2 true WO2001076532A2 (en) | 2001-10-18 |
WO2001076532A8 WO2001076532A8 (en) | 2002-03-07 |
WO2001076532A9 WO2001076532A9 (en) | 2002-12-27 |
Family
ID=24185296
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2001/011655 WO2001076532A2 (en) | 2000-04-11 | 2001-04-09 | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU2001251507A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2001076532A2 (en) |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1221480A1 (en) * | 1999-09-17 | 2002-07-10 | Keio University | Polypeptide humanin inhibiting nerve cell death |
US7253254B1 (en) | 1999-02-13 | 2007-08-07 | Osteopharma Inc. | Polypeptide variants with increased heparin-binding capacity |
AU2003288434B2 (en) * | 2002-12-06 | 2011-03-17 | IRP Health Pty Ltd | Peptides, antibodies thereto, and their use in the treatment of central nervous system damage |
CN101470095B (en) * | 2007-10-01 | 2012-05-23 | 中国人民解放军第三军医大学 | Reagent kit for detecting plateau pneumochysis susceptibility based on mitochondria DNA G5351A mononucleotide polymorphism |
US8318686B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2012-11-27 | Andes Biotechnologies S.A. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
WO2014144521A1 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
WO2018064098A1 (en) | 2016-09-28 | 2018-04-05 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic mots-c related peptides |
WO2021030792A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030794A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030749A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030799A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
US11517608B2 (en) | 2018-03-27 | 2022-12-06 | Cohbar, Inc. | Peptide-containing formulations |
-
2001
- 2001-04-09 AU AU2001251507A patent/AU2001251507A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2001-04-09 WO PCT/US2001/011655 patent/WO2001076532A2/en active Application Filing
Cited By (32)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7253254B1 (en) | 1999-02-13 | 2007-08-07 | Osteopharma Inc. | Polypeptide variants with increased heparin-binding capacity |
EP1221480A4 (en) * | 1999-09-17 | 2003-05-07 | Univ Keio | Polypeptide humanin inhibiting nerve cell death |
US7314864B1 (en) | 1999-09-17 | 2008-01-01 | Keio University | Humanin, a polypeptide suppressing neuronal death |
EP1221480A1 (en) * | 1999-09-17 | 2002-07-10 | Keio University | Polypeptide humanin inhibiting nerve cell death |
AU2003288434B2 (en) * | 2002-12-06 | 2011-03-17 | IRP Health Pty Ltd | Peptides, antibodies thereto, and their use in the treatment of central nervous system damage |
US9359648B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2016-06-07 | Andes Biotechnoogies S.A. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
US10876166B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2020-12-29 | Andes Biotechnologies Global, Inc. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
US8318686B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2012-11-27 | Andes Biotechnologies S.A. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
US9903000B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2018-02-27 | Andes Biotechnologies Global, Inc. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
US8895719B2 (en) | 2003-05-21 | 2014-11-25 | Andes Biotechnologies S.A. | Markers for pre-cancer and cancer cells and the method to interfere with cell proliferation therein |
CN101470095B (en) * | 2007-10-01 | 2012-05-23 | 中国人民解放军第三军医大学 | Reagent kit for detecting plateau pneumochysis susceptibility based on mitochondria DNA G5351A mononucleotide polymorphism |
CN105229023A (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2016-01-06 | 加利福尼亚大学董事会 | Be derived from mitochondrial peptide MOTS3 and regulate metabolism and cell survival |
JP2016514681A (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2016-05-23 | ザ リージェンツ オブ ザ ユニバーシティ オブ カリフォルニア | Mitochondrial peptide MOTS3 that regulates metabolism and cell survival |
KR20150131176A (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2015-11-24 | 더 리젠츠 오브 더 유니버시티 오브 캘리포니아 | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulated metabolism and cell survival |
EP2970410A4 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2016-10-19 | Univ California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
US20140296139A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-10-02 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
WO2014144521A1 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
AU2014228999B2 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2018-07-26 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
US10064914B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2018-09-04 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
CN105229023B (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2019-08-16 | 加利福尼亚大学董事会 | Peptide MOTS3 from mitochondria adjusts metabolism and cell survival |
US10391143B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2019-08-27 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
TWI691507B (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2020-04-21 | 加州大學董事會 | Mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS3 regulates metabolism and cell survival |
KR102267292B1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2021-06-21 | 더 리젠츠 오브 더 유니버시티 오브 캘리포니아 | Mitochondrial-derived peptide mots3 regulated metabolism and cell survival |
WO2018064098A1 (en) | 2016-09-28 | 2018-04-05 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic mots-c related peptides |
US11111271B2 (en) | 2016-09-28 | 2021-09-07 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
US11332497B2 (en) | 2016-09-28 | 2022-05-17 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
US11753445B2 (en) | 2016-09-28 | 2023-09-12 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
US11517608B2 (en) | 2018-03-27 | 2022-12-06 | Cohbar, Inc. | Peptide-containing formulations |
WO2021030794A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030749A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030799A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
WO2021030792A1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2021-02-18 | Cohbar, Inc. | Therapeutic peptides |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2001251507A1 (en) | 2001-10-23 |
WO2001076532A8 (en) | 2002-03-07 |
WO2001076532A9 (en) | 2002-12-27 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6277974B1 (en) | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death | |
US7074571B2 (en) | Serine carboxypeptidase hx (SCPhx) and compositions thereof | |
WO2001076532A2 (en) | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death | |
KR20090094806A (en) | Atap peptides, nucleic acids encoding the same and associated methods of use | |
WO2001076457A2 (en) | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death | |
WO2001081361A1 (en) | Compositions and method for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death | |
EP1098977A2 (en) | Methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of body weight disorders, including obesity | |
AU754436B2 (en) | Methods and compositions for diagnosing and treating chromosome-18p related disorders | |
US5955355A (en) | Chromosome 18 marker | |
US6146827A (en) | Rath genes and polypeptides and methods for the treatment and diagnosis of immune disorders | |
JP2001503631A (en) | Glaucoma-associated proteins and corresponding nucleic acids and their use in therapy and diagnosis | |
WO1998042724A1 (en) | Methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders | |
WO1998042362A9 (en) | Methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders | |
WO2003006479A1 (en) | Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating conditions, disorders, or diseases involving cell death | |
US5914394A (en) | Methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders | |
TWI232883B (en) | Novel enzyme gene and expression product thereof | |
US5939316A (en) | Chromosome 18 marker | |
EP0892807A1 (en) | Gene family associated with neurosensory defects | |
WO1998042723A9 (en) | Methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders | |
WO2000053630A2 (en) | COMPOUNDS THAT DISRUPT MAMMALIAN Rad51 ACTIVITY | |
US6548271B1 (en) | Nucleic acids encoding human transporter proteins | |
WO2001034173A1 (en) | METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR DIAGNOSING AND TREATING CHROMOSOME 18q RELATED DISORDERS | |
TWI250209B (en) | A novel G protein-coupled receptor, GAVE8 | |
JP2005506042A (en) | Polynucleotide encoding cell transporter and method of use thereof | |
WO2001034773A2 (en) | METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR DIAGNOSING AND TREATING CHROMOSOME 18q RELATED DISORDERS |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VN YU ZA ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application | ||
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: C1 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VN YU ZA ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: C1 Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
D17 | Declaration under article 17(2)a | ||
AK | Designated states |
Kind code of ref document: C2 Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VN YU ZA ZW |
|
AL | Designated countries for regional patents |
Kind code of ref document: C2 Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG |
|
COP | Corrected version of pamphlet |
Free format text: PAGES 1/65-65/65, DRAWINGS, REPLACED BY NEW PAGES 1/66-66/66; DUE TO LATE TRANSMITTAL BY THE RECEIVING OFFICE |
|
32PN | Ep: public notification in the ep bulletin as address of the adressee cannot be established |
Free format text: NOTIFICATION OF LOSS OF RIGHTS PERSUANT TO RULE 69 (1) EPC (EPO FORM 1205A DATED 21.02.03) |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase | ||
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase in: |
Ref country code: JP |