Patent ID: 8399219
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,C12N,G01N

Abstract:
1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding an activatable proprotein comprising: a functional interferon-alpha (IFN-α) protein or functional fragment thereof, a peptide mask comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13, 14 or 15, wherein the peptide mask inhibits binding of the IFN-α functional protein or functional fragment thereof to its binding partner, wherein the binding partner is a receptor for the IFN-α protein, and a cleavable linker, wherein the cleavable linker comprises a substrate for a protease, wherein the protease is HCV-NS3/4 or matriptase, such that: (i) in an uncleaved state, the peptide mask inhibits binding of the IFN-α functional protein or functional fragment thereof to the receptor for the IFN-α protein and (ii) in a cleaved state, the peptide mask does not inhibit binding of the IFN-α functional protein or functional fragment thereof to the receptor for the IFN-α protein.