Patent ID: 8247531

Claim:
An isolated polypeptide comprising the sequence of a mutant epidermal growth factor (EGF) that conforms to the amino acid sequence X 1 -X 2 -X 3 -X 4 -X 5 -C-P-X 8 -X 9 -X 10 -X 11 -G-X 13 -C-L-X 16 -X 17 -G-X 19 -C-X 21 -Y-I-X 25 -X 26 -D-X 28 -Y-X 30 -C-X 32 -C-X 34 -X 35 -G-Y-X 38 -G-E-R-C-Q-Y-X 45 -X 46 -L-X 48 -X 49 -X 50 -X 51 -X 52 -X 53 (SEQ ID NO:47), wherein X represents any amino acid residue except cysteine (C); the sequence of the mutant EGF differs from SEQ ID NO:1 (wild type EGF) by including 3-10 amino acid substitutions; and the mutant EGF comprises amino acid substitutions at X 48 , X 51 , and X 52 .