Patent ID: 7531178

Claim:
A protein obtained by expressing a DNA sequence in a mammalian cell wherein the DNA sequence comprises, in a 5′ to 3′ direction: (i) a DNA sequence comprising bases 1 to 807 of SEQ ID NO: 2 having collagen binding activity; (ii) a DNA sequence comprising bases 808 to 816 of SEQ ID NO: 2; and (iii) a DNA sequence comprising bases 817 to 1515 of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein said DNA sequence encodes an amino acid sequence which comprises a hinge region of an immunoglobulin, the hinge region containing at least two cysteines, and is functional to prolong plasma half life of the protein beyond that of a protein whose amino acid sequence consists of an amino acid sequence encoded by said DNA sequences (i) and (ii); wherein said protein binds collagen.