Patent ID: 7994124

Claim:
A method to protect an animal from a disease or condition that can be treated by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), comprising administering to an animal having said disease or condition a composition comprising a cysteine variant of G-CSF of SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein said G-CSF cysteine variant comprises a cysteine residue substituted for one amino acid selected from the group consisting of P2, S7, W58, A68, E93, A129, Q131, T133, Q134, A136, A139, and A141 or wherein a cysteine residue is added preceding the first amino acid of the mature protein or following the last amino acid of the mature protein, and wherein said variant has biological activity in vitro as measured by proliferation of a cell line that proliferates in response to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.