Patent ID: 7354736

Claim:
An isolated polypeptide capable of binding to pro-caspase-8 selected from the group consisting of: a) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 (Cari); b) a variant of Cari (SEQ ID NO: 3) comprising no more than ten amino acid changes and retains the capability of binding to pro-caspase-8; c) a fragment of Cari (SEQ ID NO: 3) having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 and includes the pro-caspase-8 binding site; and d) a derivative of Cari (SEQ ID NO: 3), which is prepared by modifying the â€”NH 2 group at the N-terminus or the â€”COOH group at the C-terminus or the functional groups that appear as side chains of one or more amino acids residues of the polypeptides of (a) to (c), without changing one amino acid to another one of the twenty commonly occurring natural amino acids, without the proviso that said polypeptide is not DF518-3.