Patent ID: 7262163

Claim:
A synthetic peptide comprising 6 to 15 amino acid residues, wherein: (a) said peptide comprises about 50% to about 100% α,α-dialkylated amino acid residues; (b) said peptide comprises about 25% to about 50% polar amino acid residues such that said polar residues have an overall positive charge under physiological conditions; (c) said peptide comprises about 50% to about 75% nonpolar α,α-dialkylated amino acid residues; and (d) said nonpolar residues and said polar residues are distributed within said peptide such that under physiologic conditions said peptide forms an 3 10 -helix, said nonpolar residues lie on one face of the 3 10 -helix, and said polar residues lie on the opposite face of the 3 10 -helix, whereby the peptide is amphipathic.