Patent ID: 6794126
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: A61K,C12N

Abstract:
A method for determining whether a peptide suppresses the rate of cell death in a cell population comprising contacting cells in the cell population with the peptide, and determining whether the rate of cell death in the cell population has been suppressed, thereby determining whether the peptide suppresses the rate of cell death in the cell population, wherein the peptide consists of the structure (AA1)n-Cys-(AA2)m and(a) n and m are independently 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, provided that 2&gE;(n+m)&gE;5; (b) if n=1, (AA1)n=Ala-; (c) if n=2, (AA1)n=Gln-Ala-; (d) if&lE;3, (AA1)n=(Xaa)p-Gln-Ala-, wherein Xaa is any amino acid, and (i) if n=3, p=1, (ii) if n=4, p=2, and (iii) if n=5, p=3; (e) if m=1, (AA2)m=-Arg; (f) if m=2, (AA2)m=-Arg-Gly; and (g) if m&gE;3, (AA2)m=-Arg-Gly-(Xaa)q, wherein (I) if m=3, q=1, (ii) if m=4, q=2, and (iii) if m=5, q=3.